Placentia-Yorba Linda school board holds seven meetings in April on top management changes

 

The employment status of some of the top-level managers in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District was one agenda topic for seven trustee meetings scheduled last month, including three regular meetings and four special sessions.

And earlier this month, departure dates for two of the district's four assistant superintendents were listed on a personnel report approved 5-0 by trustees. Also, the newly hired superintendent began work two months before his originally scheduled start date.

At an April 28 special session, Alex Cherniss, who was hired to begin as superintendent July 1 on a 5-0 vote at a regular April 18 meeting, had his first day of work moved to May 1, also on a 5-0 vote.

The same meeting saw interim Superintendent Michael Matthews placed “on special assignment” from May 1 until his official resignation date June 30, on a 5-0 vote. The two votes came after trustees returned from a 15-minute closed-door session.

Cherniss was superintendent of the 11,000-student Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District since 2018. Previously, he led the 3,000-student San Marino Unified School District. The Palos Verdes district has 10 elementary, three intermediate and two high schools.

At an April 19 morning meeting, Rick Lopez, assistant superintendent for human resources, was reassigned “to new duties effective immediately.” Nancy Blade, one of two directors in the department, was named interim assistant superintendent “effective immediately.”

The vote on both actions was 3-0, after Leandra Blades, Todd Frazier and Shawn Youngblood returned from a 62-minute closed-door session. Marilyn Anderson and Carrie Buck were not present due to their participation in community events previously scheduled for that morning.

Lopez resigned his position effective June 30 and will start a similar job in the 6,370-student Claremont Unified School District July 1. The Claremont district is headed by Jim Elsasser, who was Placentia-Yorba Linda's superintendent for 18 months in 2021-22 before returning to the Claremont district he had served as superintendent for nearly nine years.

Also leaving the district is David Giordano, assistant superintendent for business services. His retirement is effective Sept. 30.

The four assistant superintendents were granted 5 percent pay hikes at the regular April 11 meeting. Annual salaries for Giordano; Lopez; Linda Adamson, who heads educational services; and Richard McAlindin, who heads executive services, were set at $218,340, retroactive to July 1, 2022 on a 5-0 vote.

The increases were a departure from a longtime district practice of granting all employees the same percentage salary increases. Trustees gave 7 percent hikes to all other certificated and classified employees on 5-0 votes at a March meeting.

Next scheduled meetings are June 6 for a public hearing on the budget and June 20, when instructional materials are up for adoption.