Published: Monday, Jun. 08, 2009
Lucia Mar Unified School District schools shuffle several leaders
Retirements and promotions have brought new faces to the helm in the South County
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closeSeveral South County schools will have new principals and other leaders in the fall after a number of retirements caused some shuffling and promotions of administrators throughout the Lucia Mar district.
Principal Bryant Smith of Judkins Middle School will be replaced by the district’s at-risk coordinator, Ian Penton.
Smith has been Judkins’ principal for 18 years. He said he is ready to retire, noting this was a trying final year because of the large number of layoff notices he had to pass out to staff following state budget cuts.
Oceano Elementary School Principal Tom Butler will move to Paulding Middle School to replace Gary Moore, who retires after nearly 35 years with the Lucia Mar Unified School District.
Lucia Mar Superintendent Jim Hogeboom gave Butler credit for running what were described as effective programs to improve student achievement over the past three years.
There will also be new faces leading three elementary schools in San Luis Obispo County’s largest school district.
At Fairgrove Elementary School in Grover Beach, teacher Laura Storm has been promoted to principal to fill the vacancy that will be left by Andy Stenson when he becomes Lucia Mar’s director of student achievement.
Nipomo Elementary School Principal Ron Walton will replace Butler at Oceano Elementary. Walton has led Nipomo Elementary for nine years and said the change will be a welcome challenge.
Brett Gimlin, the assistant principal at Judkins, is leaving to lead Nipomo Elementary in the fall.
The superintendent said the shuffle is needed to accommodate the retirements of various administrators.
The other changes are promotions because he does not believe in “just moving people around,” he said.
“I think this change will help to re-energize (Walton), as well as to bring in Brett Gimlin, who is very gifted in the use of data to improve instruction, which is something Nipomo Elementary needs,” Hogeboom said.
District administration changes include the retirements of Sid Richison, who heads the human resources department, and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Sharon Roemer.
Richison is being replaced by Michelle Ellis, who is moving from a school near Merced. Roemer’s position will evolve into becoming the director of student achievement, which will be filled by Stenson.
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