His resume includes work as a teacher, Vacaville High football coach, President of the Vacaville Teachers Association, Principal of Vaca High, and currently, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services for the Vacaville Unified School District. .
There is no doubt that the VUSD Board of Directors took that employment history into account Thursday night, when the directors announced that Edward R. Santopadre would be the new district superintendent effective July 1, succeeding Jane Shamieh, who is retiring after eight years at the top of the district. work.
“The council is confident that Mr. Santopadre is the right person to lead the district into the future, building on our excellent educational programs,” council chairman John Jansen said in a news release.
In his new role, Santopadre, 61 and a district employee for 24 years, will oversee 18 campuses, 12,600 students, 730 teachers, 600 classified or academic support staff and an annual budget of nearly $150 million.
Board meeting documents show directors approved a four-year contract with a starting annual salary of $250,000, plus a standard package of district manager health benefits, a car allowance of $450 per month, a cell phone allowance of $100 per month, and professional memberships for 222 days of work per year.
“It is an honor to be appointed to this position and I look forward to serving the district as the next superintendent and continuing the tradition of excellence that has made Vacaville Unified a wonderful place to work and learn,” Santopadre wrote Friday in an email to The Reporter.
“Every student, teacher and support staff has a unique story and path to success,” he added. “Vacaville Unified is a special place because this community believes we all have a responsibility to enable students to thrive – we truly are better together. I look forward to continuing to work hard every day to support the teams that support our students. I also want to thank the school board for their vote of confidence.
Prior to becoming associate superintendent, he served as deputy superintendent of educational services, principal of Vaca High for nine years, and deputy principal of the West Monte Vista Avenue campus.
Elaine Kong, spokeswoman for the district, noted that under her leadership, “the Santopadre team” has improved academic outcomes for all students.
He worked with staff to develop systems such as new grading practices and improve graduation rates from 86.1% to 95.6%, she added. Prior to becoming an administrator, he taught and coached at Vacaville High School. He received a bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga and a master’s degree in education from Touro de Vallejo University.
In addition to his long-time work for the district, Santopadre is a member of numerous committees and organizations, including the Vacaville City Economic Development Council, Vacaville Rotary, the Sac-Joaquin Chapter Budget Advisory Committee.
“He has a deep-rooted commitment to the success of our students and the important role our district plays in the Vacaville community,” Kong said.
“We are really lucky to have Jane here for the rest of the 22-23 school year and they will be working together,” Jansen said.
Immediately after the announcement, Santopadre told the reporter, “I took a moment to reflect and felt so lucky. My grandson Jack and his mother came to the board meeting last night and my mom and wife were at home watching it on Youtube. I’m so lucky to have the unconditional support of my family. It drives me to continue supporting our community on a daily basis.
Additionally, he said he was surprised at the number of district administrators who showed up at the board meeting.
“The support of our team members means the world to me,” Santopadre said. “Having a strong administrative team to begin my term as superintendent gives me added confidence that we will continue to thrive.”
