The Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District trustees voted 4-0 in favor of appointing Acting Superintendent Heath Rocha as its new permanent superintendent, during last board meeting.
Heath has been serving as Acting Superintendent since October and will continue in that role until he formally assumes his new position on July 1.
That’s when outgoing superintendent Bill W. Sanderson’s contract expires.
Sanderson departed amid controversy and is being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, because he agreed not to sue the District.
Before he resigned abruptly, Sanderson, who is a gay man, told the newspaper he believed he was facing anti-homosexual discrimination from some in the school community.
Los Gatan reporting revealed Sanderson was accused of making colleagues feel uncomfortable while working for a prior educational employer in Atlanta, and that the LGSUHSD school board quietly tried to update a clause in Sanderson’s contract because he didn’t hold a teaching certificate he was supposed to hold.
As a finalist for the position, Acting Superintendent Heath Rocha gave a presentation during a Jan. 28 special board meeting sharing his background, leadership journey and vision for the future.
“I have been implementing my vision for student services with great success, and I am eager for the opportunity to expand that success across the district,” he said during that meeting.
According to the District, Rocha has helped reduce suspensions by an average of 74% over the past six years, bring “WeTIP” and threat assessment training to schools, prioritized parent and staff feedback through annual surveys, and built wellness centers in both Saratoga and Los Gatos campuses.
