Paso Robles Schools Superintendent Kathy McNamara in her Western-themed office. In less than two months on the job, she has seen much that has encouraged her.
Kathy McNamara, the new superintendent of Paso Robles’ public schools, has already visited every campus in the district. She hopes to visit every classroom by the end of the academic year.
McNamara, who has been on the job in Paso Robles since December, has a Westernthemed office with a collection of vintage lunchboxes on display. She’s quickly settling in to her new role at the helm of the North County’s largest school district.
“It’s a great community. I can’t say enough positive things about it. It feels like family; it feels like home,” said McNamara, who moved from Banning to take the job.
McNamara has already faced a challenge in the district. In December, an investigation into an active case of tuberculosis diagnosed at the high school prompted health officials to test some students and staff who may have been in contact with the infected person.
“That was handled very well by the Health Department. I can’t give them enough kudos for the job they did,” she said. No other active case has been found as a result of the investigation, she said.
Among her goals for the district is increasing Academic Performance Index scores, something she was successful at in Banning.
In February, she will be part of contract bargaining talks with the district’s teachers union. In Banning, where she worked for 21 years, she was known for being a tough bargainer.
Because state budget negotiations aren’t yet complete, McNamara said, it is too soon to say what kind of salary increases might be available.
“We have a very good staff here.With what budgetary allowances we have, we want to do the best we can,” she said.
The superintendent’s position was vacated when Patrick Sayne retired after nine years running the district.
His successor is warm and talkative. During an interview in her office, the 52-year-old spoke at length about the initial impressions of the district and hopes for her tenure.
Her top priority, McNamara said, is for the district to focus on student learning.
“We’re in high stakes accountability time right now,” she said of the statewide push for better student performance.
To that end, one of the things that impressed her about the school sites she visited in December was that though the holidays were near, quality lessons were happening in classrooms.
“It was business as usual, even though Santa was coming to town,” she said.
McNamara said she has already visited 66 classrooms and has several hundred more to go to complete her goal.
She viewed end-of-year choral performances, saw Flamson Middle School’s history day and went to the homecoming football game with her 14-year-old son.
Her son and husband haven’t yet moved to Paso Robles, she said, but they will join her at the end of the school year.
She will oversee major construction in the district. This month, ground will be broken for a replacement classroom, library and office building at Flamson Middle School, said assistant superintendent of business Gary Hoskins. The original structure was damaged in the 2003 San Simeon Earthquake.
Plans for improvements at the high school using MeasureTbond funds are ongoing, with a new 20-classroom building identified as one of the first priorities, Hoskins said. PE facilities and a new in-dependent study center will also be built.
And the district is also slated to receive $3 million for an agriculture academy building, money that is protected from state budget cuts, Hoskins said.
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