A first step in the process to hire a new superintendent has been taken by trustees of the 22,700-student, 34-campus Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District: Trustees voted 5-0 to send executive search firms requests for bids to aid the district in hiring procedures.
The vote was taken at an April 22 board meeting after the trustees’ unanimous decision to accept a request by former superintendent Alex Cherniss to waive the 45-day resignation notice in his employment contract and approve his departure effective April 30.
The request for proposal will be developed by Acting Superintendent Allan Mucerino. He told trustees that now is “beyond” the best time to begin a search to have someone on board July 1. He said the “next best time” for a new superintendent to start is Jan. 1.
Mucerino said most superintendents would say that Jan. 1 would be the best time to start because they would have the chance to “listen and learn,” make observations, see district processes and build relationships instead of preparing for the start of a new school year.
During discussion, trustees indicated they wanted a search firm that would conduct surveys and hold focus groups to gather input for making a decision. Mucerino noted that input from students would be “critical” in the information-gathering process.
Cherniss, who was placed on paid leave by a 5-0 vote of the Placentia-Yorba Linda trustees at a Dec. 19 meeting, submitted his resignation after he was hired as superintendent for the Beverly Hills Unified School District on a 3-2 trustee vote.
Cherniss’ three-year contract with that 3,300-student, four-campus district was approved on a 5-0 vote April 15. He started his career in the district teaching middle school math, serving as an elementary school principal and later as an assistant superintendent of business services.
Among the speakers at the Beverly Hills district’s April 15 session were Placentia-Yorba Linda district trustee Leandra Blades and the former principal of the district’s Orange County School of Computer Science charter Beth Fisher.
They praised Cherniss’ contributions to the Placentia-Yorba Linda district, specifically citing his role in creating the district’s computer science charter and the Universal Sports Institute.
If the Placentia-Yorba Linda district hires a superintendent before the end of 2025, he or she will be the eighth person to helm the district in the past 10 years, starting with Doug Domene (2012-16), followed by Greg Plutko (2016-20) and James Elsasser (2021-June 2022).
Also: Michael Matthews (acting July 2022-April 2023), Cherniss (May 2023-December 2024), Renee Gray (acting December 2024-February 2025) and Mucerino (acting February 2025-present).
The most recent longest-serving superintendents were Dennis Smith (from 2000 to 2012) and James Fleming (from 1987 to 2000).
Current superintendent pay is $1,518 per day for a 247-day year.
Jim Drummond is a longtime Yorba Linda resident. He gives his opinion on local issues weekly. Send e-mail to jimdrummond@hotmail.com.