The Castaic Union School District announced Linette Hodson, chief financial officer, will depart from the district after six years on staff and Irene Boden has been named as the assistant superintendent of business and administrative services, and will assume many of Hodson’s responsibilities.
Hodson will be leaving the Castaic district for an opportunity with School Services of California Inc., an education consulting company. Boden has worked in education for more than 15 years and has served in the school business environment – starting as an account technician with the WIlliam S. Hart Union High School District.
“[School Services] approached me with an opportunity to coach other CEOs across state districts who have CBOs [chief business officials] that they want to provide support,” Hodson said. “The next part of my career is to support up-and-coming business officials and the executive cabinet.”
“Throughout my career, I have always been blessed to always have excellent mentors and people who really cared about my growth. I would say that was the case from the very beginning of my teaching career. I feel like that’s important for me to give back.”
Hodson, as the chief business official, worked with Julia Phippen, director of business and fiscal services, and several other departments to oversee the Castaic district’s finances. In her six years, Hodson said she is proud to have been a lead negotiator for the district on several fronts.
“I did contract negotiations with the classified and teachers bargaining units,” Hodson said. “It’s a fun and difficult challenge all at the same time. But that work is very meaningful.”
Hodson said she, along with Patty Omara and Jody Voltage, who are also part of the Castaic district’s negotiation team, have worked hard together to build “real, strong” relationships between the bargaining units and the district.
“I value the relationships that I was able to build here and with the community, the staff and [governing] board,” Hodson said. “It’s a good district, and they’re doing great things. I’m proud to be part of that.”
Boden will begin with the Castaic district effective July 1.
After finishing her associate’s degree and halfway through her bachelor’s, she found a job as part of the HITE, High Intensity Transfer Enrichment, and honors program at College of the Canyons, she said.
“I progressed into actually running the program when I was really young,” Boden said. “Then I got married and took some time off from work to have my family, but I went back to work in the Hart district.”
Once at the Hart district, she found several opportunities to work her way up in the business-education industry, she said. She eventually found herself at Granada Hills Charter High School as a fiscal manager, after her time in the Hart district.
“I started really pursuing the CTO [position]. I spent three years at Granada and I moved onto the Ventura County Office of Education to really understand the business department and the oversight requirements that are needed.”
Boden became the assistant director of school business advisory services, where she conducted oversight and review of 19 school districts and 12 charter schools. But now, Boden said she’s more than happy to be working with the Castaic district.
“It’s amazing and it’s actually been my goal to get back to my community,” Boden said. “I enjoy volunteerism here in the community. I really tried to show this to my children, [the importance] of giving back to these places that you inhabit.”
“It means so much to be able to be here in my community, servicing my community in this capacity, and just the ability to be closer to home and have that time [with family and community].”
Boden says she hopes to be a good role model, not only for her two boys, but also for the Castaic district community.
“My inclination and what I perceive for her is that she has the same passion about school districts and about kids that I have,” Hodson said. “I just hope that she continues to stay on that path and keeps kids as her focus. I’m confident that she will be based on our conversations.”