San Bruno schools name interim superintendent

“I am very excited to serve as interim superintendent in the San Bruno Park School District, and I thank the Board of Trustees for this opportunity,” Milliken said in a press release. “I appreciate the challenging circumstances that our students, staff, and parents are working under, and I am eager to meet staff and community members and start offering my support.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, Milliken expressed an eagerness to begin meeting with the school community including parents, community partners and staff. In response, trustees energetically welcomed Milliken to the district after noting his success leading BRSSD. 

Trustee Jennifer Blanco, the lone vote against approving the contract with the administrator due to concerns with its financial package, unofficially changed her vote in favor of agreement after Milliken gave his assurances that he intends on being fully available to the administrative team “around the clock.” 

Milliken’s contract with the district includes an annual pay of $206,000 along with health benefits starting Jan. 1 for a six-month term. His partnership with the district stems from the departure of Espinoza who started in his role in May of 2020, making him the fourth administrator to hold the position since 2015, not including interim superintendents who took the helm while a permanent replacement was found. 

News of Espinoza leaving was made public by a trustee who shared a since-deleted announcement he would be taking on a superintendent role at another school district outside the county. 

In an email, Espinoza said he feels great about the transition and met for a few hours Thursday with Milliken to work together on a plan.

“He is an experienced and accomplished educator who will be able to help lead the district as the Board searches for a permanent Superintendent. Dr. Milliken and I will be working closely together to ensure that the transition is as smooth as possible,” he said.

Board President Andrew Mason has also not commented on Espinoza’s departure but shared a warm welcome to Milliken during Wednesday’s meeting and again in a press release Thursday. 

“We are pleased to work with Dr. Milliken in leading the district while we continue the search for a permanent superintendent,” Mason said in a press release. “We look forward to collaborating with Dr. Milliken and our district stakeholders to ensure continued support for our community, prioritizing student safety, wellness, and learning.”

In other business, the board also voted 4-1 to direct staff to begin work on moving the district to by-area trustee elections. Blanco, who first encouraged the district’s shift to by-area elections to bring more equitable representation to the board, voted against the measure because county counsel was unable to commit to having the work done in time for the November 2022 elections. 

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

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