SAN MARCOS – Kevin Holt, the
interim superintendent of the school district, has been chosen as
its new chief, the school board announced yesterday after a
closed-session meeting.
For months, the board had been discussing in closed session how
to fill the superintendent's seat. Yesterday's meeting lasted nearly
90 minutes before the board unanimously decided on Holt.
After the meeting, president
Mary Borevitz said the board is “thrilled and delighted” to offer
him the job.
Holt, 49, has been leading the 16,700-student San Marcos Unified
School District since a divided board forced out former
Superintendent Ed Brand in August and approved buying out Brand's
contract for $410,000. The decision, which was largely unexplained,
caused an uproar in the district.
In recent months, Holt has said that he wanted to stay on as
superintendent. As interim superintendent, he improved relations
with California State University San Marcos and started a
communications project with the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce.
Holt, when reached on his cell phone yesterday at a
superintendents conference in Monterey, said he felt like he was on
top of the world.
“It's been what I have been waiting for and working toward,” he
said.
After he became interim superintendent, Holt said, he felt the
power of being able to make positive changes through collaboration
with others, and decided he wanted the job.
A new contract must be signed before Holt's promotion is
official. Under his interim contract, his annual salary is $185,000,
plus a $700 monthly travel allowance.
Borevitz said Holt's new contract is expected to be finalized
during a closed-session meeting Feb. 1.
Leaders of both the teachers and classified employees unions said
Holt is the right choice and they look forward to working with him.
They said they have negotiated with him and have found him to be a
people person who respects others, but is firm with the bottom line.
“He knows how to say no, but does it in a way so that people
don't get offended,” said Pia Harris-Ebert, the teachers union
president and a former councilwoman. “He has a gift for saying the
right thing.”
Susan Denny, president of the classified employees group, said
she was impressed when he checked in on a school employee who had
been ill at work a few years ago. He's compassionate but he isn't
soft, Denny said. “He's firm without carrying a big stick,” she
said.
Yesterday, a few parents said they are pleased that Holt received
unanimous approval from the board, in light of the controversy and
speculation that followed Brand's departure.
“It means all five are confident about him,” said Sheila Trebbin,
who is active in the schools. “He was able to reach out to all five
of them.”
Kirk Effinger, who sits on the Valley of Discovery Education
Foundation, said Holt did a good job of moving the district forward
after Brand was forced out, even though he was in an awkward
situation. Holt was able to tactfully set the record straight at
board meetings when people made inaccurate statements, he said.
Holt, who has worked in education for 22 years, joined San Marcos
schools in 2003 as assistant superintendent of human resources.
Before that, he had been a teacher, elementary school principal and
human resources director. He has worked for Long Beach Unified,
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified and Temecula Valley Unified.
Holt lives in Temecula and has three grown children. He expects
to receive his doctorate in education administration from the
University of California San Diego this year.
Linda Lou: (760) 737-7574; linda.lou@uniontrib.com
