The Abridged version:
- New superintendents were selected for the Sacramento County Office of Education and Twin Rivers Unified School District. Some officials raised concerns that the appointments came just before new trustees take office.
- Representatives for the school district and county office said both search processes were thorough and not rushed.
- The new leader in Sacramento County will have her hands full overseeing Sacramento City Unified, which faces a mounting risk of insolvency.
Two new Sacramento school superintendents were appointed Tuesday. The hires were each celebrated as deeply qualified and well suited for the role.
But some questioned why the appointments came ahead of impending school board turnover, a week before recently elected trustees are slated to begin fresh terms.
“The superintendent selected today will ultimately work alongside the board that serves tomorrow,” Emmanuel Amanfor, trustee-elect for the Twin Rivers Unified School District, said earlier this month.
“If there is no urgent need to make an immediate decision,” he continued, “I encourage the board to consider … allowing incoming leadership to participate.”
The current Twin Rivers Unified board moved ahead Tuesday with appointing Tu Moua Carroz. She will start her three-year contract July 1, at the same time Amanfor begins his four-year term.
Meanwhile, the Sacramento County Board of Education announced Jackie White as the next superintendent of Sacramento County schools, which include Sacramento City Unified School District. The decision came weeks before the county board gains potentially two new members.
White, the first woman in the role, is expected to overlap with retiring longtime superintendent Dave Gordon for almost a year, until he retires next summer.
‘It wasn’t rushed’
Paul Keefer, who sits on the county education board, said the process of finding Gordon’s successor began in earnest four months ago.
Consultants hired by the board held public forums and distributed surveys. They conducted interviews and brought multiple candidates to trustees for consideration.
“The process was fair; it was grounded,” Keefer said. “It wasn’t rushed.”
Keefer faced political newcomer Annie Fischer in his bid for reelection this year. Their race is still too close to call with certainty, but Fischer has kept a narrow lead throughout recent results updates.
Not getting the chance to weigh in on the superintendent search makes for a less than warm welcome to the role, Fischer said.
“It’s not great,” she said. “But it’s reality.”
Double the cost
The appointment also sets leadership on the back foot with many of their employees, said Sean Frame, chief steward for California School Employees Association Chapter 480.
The union represents roughly 300 people, and members have been vocal with their objections for months.
“We were very much opposed to how fast they were moving,” he said about the search process.
Plus, Frame said he couldn’t believe the county office would be paying two superintendent salaries for a year. It’s a cost he said he would have balked at during his nine years on the Placerville Union School District board.
“It’s a wild amount of time,” Frame said.
White will start as superintendent Sept. 1, with a salary of $345,000. Gordon will stay on as a special advisor to the board. He did not respond to a question from Abridged clarifying whether he would still be taking a similarly sized salary during that period.
Transition time
Both boards were guaranteed at least one new member, with longtime trustees opting for retirement over reelection.
Twin Rivers trustee Rebecca Sandoval is wrapping up 14 years on the North Sacramento school board. In her last meeting Tuesday, she said she appreciated getting to help select the next superintendent.
“That was real important to me,” Sandoval said.
The process was also timed so that Moua Carroz would be able to start the job ahead of the 2026-27 school year, said Zenobia Gerald, a spokesperson for the district.
But officials outside the district still questioned the timing.
“I’m concerned about that new trustee not having a voice in who they’re going to hire and work with,” said Karina Talamantes, a Sacramento City Council member and former Sacramento County Board of Education member.
“Hiring a superintendent is so important,” Talamantes added about both recent selections. “Having someone that’s going to be there the next four years in the interview process is important for accountability, for transparency and for good governance.”
Work ahead
Moua Carroz and White will both have their hands full in their new jobs.
The county education office is tasked with overseeing 13 school districts, including Sacramento City Unified, which faces a growing risk of insolvency and state receivership. The situation was part of the reason for Gordon’s extended advisory role, according to a county news release.
Twin Rivers Unified has their own budget to balance, after the district’s teachers’ union successfully negotiated 7% raises over the next two years and substantial boosts in healthcare coverage. That came after a 12-day teacher strike in March, the longest in county history.
“I know this district is healing,” Moua Carroz said. “I know there is work ahead to rebuild relationships with our teachers, with our classified staff, our families and our students. And I am ready for that work.”
Savannah Kuchar is a reporter covering education. She came to Sacramento to be a part of the Abridged team and contribute to a crucial local news source.