A veteran educator from Southern California has been named to lead the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District as the next superintendent/president.
Kimberly “Kim” Sheehan’s contract was unanimously approved Tuesday night by the district’s board of education.
The employment agreement, starting July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2027, calls for Sheehan to receive an annual salary of $220,000 for 220 days of work along with health insurance benefits given to other employees.
She will come to Santa Ynez from a job as director of operations at The Accelerated Schools, a charter school program serving South Los Angeles.
“I’m excited about this. I think the district is going to move forward very well with Dr. Sheehan,” board president Chris Johnson said.
Other board members echoed their support and excitement for the hiring.
“I’m honored to work with an already amazing established leadership team,” Sheehan said. “I’m so excited to get to know everybody and actually get here and start the work.
“I’m excited to work with the classified and certificated staff, the parents, the community, but most importantly the students to ensure that Santa Ynez High School and Refugio High School continue to see the passion, the purpose and the potential in each student.”
The district previously voted to combine what had been separate positions of superintendent and principal for the district, but add another vice principal.
In addition to Elysia Lewis, currently filling in as interim superintendent in addition to her chief business official role, the district has three vice principals — Jasmine Day, Peter Haws and Victoria Martinez.
The new vice principal, Kelley Carter, will start her new job for the next school year.
During her career, Sheehan worked as a teacher, softball coach, assistant principal, principal, director of technology and director of student support services with most of her time in the Covina-Valley Unified School District.
Sheehan graduated from Cal Poly, Pomona with a bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations. She earned a master’s degree in pupil personnel and administrative leadership from Azusa Pacific University.
Also, she was awarded her doctorate from the USC Rossier School of Education, and her dissertation study focused on equitable hiring practices.
Under her contract, she will not receive paid vacation or holidays, but will accrue one sick day a month. Additionally, she will get $150 a month for a life insurance policy, $50 for a cellphone and $250 for a transportation allowance within the county.
The former superintendent, Andrew Schwab, left in February for a job leading the Dos Palos Oro Loma Joint Unified School District, which mostly sits in Merced County.
Since the departure of Principal Michael Niehoff last summer, the high school has had two interim principals for the 2023-24 school year while searching for someone to fill the job.
The high school district’s students come from Santa Ynez Valley’s six feeder districts — Ballard, Buellton, College, Los Olivos, Solvang and Vista del Mar.