San Bruno school superintendent leaving for Santa Clara

Preceded by Cheryl Olson, Kemp was appointed superintendent of San Bruno Park in 2017 at a time when the district faced a structural deficit. In 2018, school officials decided to close and consolidate El Crystal and Rollingwood elementary schools to trim costs. El Crystal was sold for $13.5 million and the revenue will be combined with the $79 million in recently passed Measure X bond money to help pay toward the rebuild of existing facilities, which need to be revamped and improved to accommodate more students. The timeline for shuttering and selling Rollingwood is yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, Engvall Middle School has been closed since 1989 and is currently being leased to a golf center. Officials are considering allowing the San Mateo Union High School District to create fields at the site, which would free up 5 acres for residential development at the former Crestmoor High School campus in San Bruno. That would help the high school district finance construction of affordable teacher housing. One location that is being explored for that high school district teacher housing is Mills High School in Millbrae.

Under Kemp, the district achieved fiscal solvency, according to the release, in part because of Measure X, the $79 million bond to modernize the district’s schools passed in November of 2018. 

“She brought stability and confidence when we were in financial distress two years ago and it was evidenced in her bond campaign,” said board President Kevin Martinez. “She presented a full vision and people could see all the steps of even beyond what the bond could fund and that can be attributed to her leadership and drive.” 

Kemp secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding to create programs for English language learners and in STEM, provide 21st century teaching and learning centers helped create new systems were created on the business side as well as in special education, according to the release.

Martinez said the board will likely look to an experienced interim superintendent to take over while a permanent replacement is sought.

Kemp’s new employer, Santa Clara Unified, is a K-12 public school system with 26 schools — there are plans to open three more schools over the next five years — serving 15,500 students and an additional 6,000 preschool and adult students, according to the release. The district has an operating budget of nearly $280 million.

“This opportunity for Dr. Kemp to preside over a K-12 district does not come around often and is perfectly aligned with her talent, experience, knowledge and leadership skill to educate the whole child from preschool through high school and beyond,” Martinez said. “It’s mixed feelings for us. We know they’re getting a strong leader and we know she’s invested so much here. We’re in a strong position to carry forward.”