Less than a month after naming their acting superintendent, Castaic Union School District governing board members removed the interim tag for Bob Brauneisen, starting July 1.
The governing board made the move official during a meeting in closed session, according to an email statement from Charmin Ortega, executive assistant to the superintendent.
“President (John) Richard reported that in the second closed session, on a motion by Laura Pearson, seconded by Mayreen Burk, the board unanimously voted (5-0) to appoint Bob Brauneisen as superintendent of the Castaic Union School District, effective July 1, 2023,” Ortega wrote Thursday.
Brauneisen, previously principal of Castaic Middle School, said he was excited by the move and looking forward to next year, also, in a statement sent via email.
“I am honored and excited to serve the families of the Castaic Union School District in the capacity of superintendent,” he said Thursday. “I look forward to leading the district in a positive direction focusing on student achievement.”
Richard cited Brauneisen’s “proven track record of great leadership within our school district,” as the reason why he was the immediate choice after the district moved to place its previous superintendent, Steve Doyle, on paid administrative leave on April 20.
“Furthermore, he loves this community and school district, caring for each student and staff,” Richard wrote in an email Thursday, “and the school board thought he would be the best choice to help our school district grow as a family and as a community.”
The decision Wednesday not to open up the job search was made based on Brauneisen’s aforementioned track record, as well as the superintendent’s ability to show the district what he’s capable of in just a few short weeks, Richard added.
“We decided to forego any further search, primarily due to the overwhelming support and respect the classified and certificated staff have for him,” Richard said. “Beyond that, within the few short weeks he has served as acting superintendent, he has displayed great leadership, thus we thought it would be best to move forward with him as superintendent.”
Brauneisen’s promotion from acting status comes two weeks after the district also announced a change in its assistant superintendent of educational services.
Stephanie Beach, who also previously was principal of Castaic Elementary, had her promotion announced in a closed session report after a meeting last month. She replaces Kim Tredick.
