Ted Knight has stepped down as superintendent of Carmel USD in California following “an external review of the Superintendent’s actions in relation to personnel matters in mid-June,” the district says on its website. That investigation was connected to the removal of Carmel High School’s principal, KSBW reported.
Knight, who was hired in 2021, had been placed on leave in March and then filed multiple civil rights and equal employment complaints against the district. The separation agreement, which will pay Knight $770,000, resolves all matters between Carmel USD and its former superintendent, “allowing the District and community to concentrate on supporting teachers and staff and continuing the student-focused work of the District.”
In another departure, Rich Sarau is leaving Menominee Area Public Schools in Michigan on Sept. 1 after serving as superintendent for about a year and a half. The school board said Sarau’s reasons for resigning were “personal,” the Eagle Herald reported.
Finally, Gary Lilly will resign from Collierville Schools in Tennessee on Dec. 31 to become executive director of the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents, Fox13 reported.
Notable new hires
J.A. Gonzalez has been named the next superintendent of Harlingen CISD in south Texas. Gonzalez, who has 25 years of experience in education, had been the superintendent of McAllen ISD for the last seven years.
Longtime K12 leader Bart Reeves has been named superintendent of Albertville City Schools in Alabama. Reeves had been working for the Alabama Association of School Boards and had previously served as superintendent of Satsuma City and Jackson County school districts.
In New Jersey, Superintendent Rui Dionisio will take the helm of Fair Lawn Public Schools after having led the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District since 2021. He had previously spent seven years as superintendent of Verona Public Schools.
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Another superintendent who has found a new home is Andy Bryan, who has been chosen for the top spot in Edgecombe County Public Schools, The Rant reported. Bryan resigned as superintendent of Lee County Schools in March.
More new hires
- Alda T. Benavides, Edcouch-Elsa ISD (Texas)
- Raymond W. Kilmer, Oswego City School District (New York)
- Kevin Maddox, Hoover City Schools (Alabama)
Retirements announced
A handful of superintendents have announced their plans to retire between now and the end of the 2023-34 school year, including:
- Yolanda Chapa, Santa Rosa ISD (Texas)
- King Laurence, Aiken County Public School District Superintendent (South Carolina)
