Superintendent at Sequoia to retire at end of school year: Jim Lianides to leave Sequoia Union High School District after almost four decades in education

The Redwood City native and Woodside High School graduate expressed his appreciation in a prepared statement for the chance to serve the area where he was raised.

“It has been a special experience to be given the opportunity to serve in a leadership role in my own community,” he said.

Lianides, who began his education career as a teacher in 1978, said he plans to stay with the district through the end of the school year to help district officials effectively transition to a new superintendent. The district Board of Trustees will begin their search for the next official immediately, he said.

“I am proud to have had the opportunity to serve in the Sequoia Union High School District and to be associated with a such a strong community of staff, parents and students,” he said in the email. “I will especially miss working with the dedicated, professional staff throughout our district. As I transition to the next chapter in my life I look forward to more time with family and friends, possible other educational endeavors and greater opportunities for travel.”

Board President Alan Sarver said he admired Lianides’ commitment to stick with the district after having initially expressed his desire to retire last year.

“We can’t say enough about his great years of service,” said Sarver. “He has been a great leader for the district. We are pleased to have him leading the team for the rest of the school year and he has set up some pretty big shoes to fill.”

Prior to coming to the school district in 2008 as a top business official, Lianides worked as the superintendent of the Pacifica Elementary School District. He also worked as a principal in Mountain View after beginning as a teacher in the Redwood City Elementary School District.

He said he believed the time he spent as superintendent in the high school district was the culmination of his career.

“Our students represent a wide socioeconomic and racial diversity and our focus has been to serve all students well,” he said. “I am proud of the efforts to promote greater equity and opportunity for our underserved students. Many of our students move on to well-known universities and many are the first generation in their family to graduate and go on to college.”

Since taking over as superintendent, Lianides has overseen a variety of capital improvements at many of the district campuses, as well as an effort to launch two new small high schools in Menlo Park and San Carlos to address student enrollment growth.

As the officials looks to further solidify the vision for the Menlo Park small school while transitioning to a by-district election system, Sarver said the guidance of Lianides has proved invaluable.

“We are not just expanding the district, but moving it forward and he’s absolutely central to that work,” said Sarver.

Sarver credited Lianides’ skills to communicate and unify as primary sources of his effectiveness.

“He is really embedded in his community and engages effectively with the great needs and challenges of our Hispanic and less affluent communities, as well as our high-powered, high-tech, more affluent communities,” said Sarver. “He is really able to bring people together and manage the balance of needs and equity and opportunity across all the schools in our district.”

Sarver said he hoped the board could identify a replacement by early spring, to allow the candidate to work alongside Lianides for a few months and ease the transition. He expected the search to span a variety of candidates from across the nation.

“We think it is important to be able to have a broad selection of the very best people out there,” he said. “This is one of the best districts and people are going to be excited to come here, so we expect to meet a crop of truly excellent candidates.”

For his part, Lianides said he is ready to help his successor be adequately prepared to take the helm of the district.

“I look forward to continuing my active role as superintendent through the end of June and assuring a successful, smooth transition for the next superintendent,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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