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Santa Ana Names New Superintendent, St. Louis Leader Inducted Into Hall of Fame

  • California’s Santa Ana Unified School District recently selected Jerry Almendarez to take the reins of the 47,000-student school district. Since 2010, he has served as superintendent of California’s Colton Joint Unified School District. Santa Ana superintendent

    Prior to becoming superintendent, Almendarez served in the 23,000-student school system as director of human resources and assistant superintendent of human resources. His career in education spans 27 years, and includes experience as a classroom teacher, an assistant principal and a principal.

    Almendarez will succeed co-interim superintendents Alan Rasmussen and Richard Tauer.

    Saint Louis Superintendent Inducted into NABSE Hall of Fame

    Saint Louis Public Schools superintendent Kelvin Adams Kelvin Adams, the superintendent of Missouri’s Saint Louis Public Schools, was recently inducted into the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held during the organization’s 47th Annual Conference in Dallas. 

    Adams has led the Saint Louis school system, which serves 22,000 students, for 12 years. He was hired in 2008 by a Special Administrative Board (SAB) put in place to help turn around Missouri’s second-largest school district after a loss of state accreditation.

    Under his leadership, the district increased its graduation and attendance rates and made improvements in student achievement and governance. The district also reduced a $66 million deficit, balanced the budget, built an $80 million surplus and gained the confidence of its citizens, who overwhelmingly approved two tax levies.

    In 2017, the district was granted full accreditation by the Missouri State Board of Education and in 2019, the three-member SAB transferred authority to a seven-member elected board.

    “I am deeply humbled by this award, and I accept it on behalf of the students, staff and families of the Saint Louis Public School District community,” said Adams. “I recognize the challenges many of our students navigate every morning before they start the school day. My goal is to clear a pathway for each of them to achieve academic and personal goals.”