The Saugus Union School District governing board unanimously appointed Robert Hernandez as the district’s next superintendent, governing board President Matthew Watson announced during Tuesday’s open session.
The governing board had not taken a vote on the item and was expected to do so during closed session of Tuesday’s meeting, Watson said last week. Immediately following the announcement, a press release announcing the new superintendent was provided to those present during the meeting.
“We sought a superintendent who would continue to nurture strong, supportive school environments where every student can thrive,” Watson said during the meeting. “We believe we found that match in Dr. Hernandez.”
Hernandez is set to begin his tenure effective July 1, following Colleen Hawkins’ departure. Hawkins announced her retirement in November.
During the announcement Watson said the board was provided a “tremendous amount of qualified candidates” and the board chose to interview six of them, including Hernandez.
“The board conducted a comprehensive search guided by community input and considered several highly qualified candidates. Dr. Hernandez emerged as the top choice for his deep experience across classroom, site, and district leadership roles, as well as his commitment to ensuring students receive a high-quality education that prepares them to thrive in a competitive global environment,” the release said.
Watson thanked the community and stakeholders for their insight on what they wanted to see moving forward for the Saugus district. He also thanked the Education Support Services consultants who led the search.
“I also want to thank my colleagues who engaged in an incredibly collaborative and thorough process. I appreciate all the work, the thought and the effort,” Watson said.
According to the press release, Hernandez has more than two decades of experience as a teacher, principal and district administrator. He was recently with the San Antonio Independent School District where he was the network instructional assistant superintendent.
Before that, Hernandez was with the Pasadena Unified School District. At Pasadena, he held key leadership roles including director of planning, innovation and accountability, and also served as principal of Pasadena High School, according to the release.
