San Bruno selects new school chief

Officials hope Kemp, who is slated to earn $188,000 in base salary annually, will take control of the financially-plagued district and continue the positive momentum established under Olson.

“Dr. Kemp will build upon the legacy of Cheryl Olson and take the district to new vistas,” said board President Henry Sanchez. “Whether it’s the solvency of the district, structural advancement of 21st-century learning as well as bringing the community of San Bruno together.”

Prior to taking the job in San Bruno, Kemp worked as the assistant superintendent of Educational Services at the Franklin-McKinley School District in San Jose. She also has more than two decades of experience working as a teacher and administrator in Texas and California.

Kemp expressed excitement for her new opportunity in a prepared statement.

“I look forward to meeting San Bruno students and to working closely with teachers, staff, parents, community leaders and volunteers who are committed to the district’s mission of empowering our students toward academic success and becoming positive contributors to society,” she said.

In her new role, Kemp will face the sizable challenge of rectifying the district’s systemic budget issues which have long been a source for contention between district officials, educators and the school community.

Budget limitations frequently have generated fights over teacher and administrative pay while also inviting threats of programmatic reductions along with mandatory monetary oversight from the county Office of Education.

Hutt was ousted after 12 years by the board in 2014 following a series of widely-criticized talks over potentially closing neighborhood schools, under an effort to correct the district’s financial course.

Olson too faced criticism for administrative allocation of funds, most notably from teachers who complained they are not paid sufficiently to afford the cost of living locally.

She also drew heat from parents recently following a decision to redistribute students across the district under an effort to balance enrollment and save money needed to hire additional teachers.

Despite the variety of controversies, Sanchez lauded Olson’s work to unify the San Bruno community and get the district backing from business organizations, residents, elected officials and others.

Collaborations with county education officials, county Supervisor Dave Pine, notable San Bruno businesses such as YouTube and Walmart.com, the San Bruno Community Foundation and the city’s Chamber of Commerce are examples of that work, said Sanchez.

“Those are important collaborators and partnerships that need to be matured and provide benefits to everyone,” he said. “A lot of that relationship-building process took place with her and a lot of people were a part of that.”

Kemp too praised Olson’s work in a prepared statement.

“I am impressed with the direction San Bruno Park School District has taken in the past two years to better connect the community with the district’s successes and its challenges,” she said.

Kemp’s previous success in recruiting outside education and business organizations to support students fuels officials’ confidence that she is the right person to carry on Olson’s legacy, according to a district report.

Sanchez said he believes Kemp can take the baton from her predecessor and continue to move the school district forward.

“There are things in place that Stella can take advantage of and add her own impact that is unique to her,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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