At its meeting on Jan. 28, the five members of the Board of Trustees cast a unanimous vote to appoint acting superintendent Heath Rocha to the position permanently. He is replacing former superintendent Bill Sanderson, who went on leave on Oct. 15 amid community furor over his leadership style and will resign officially this coming June.
The search began on Jan. 14 when head of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District (LGSUHSD) HR department Dagmar Derickson outlined the three possible options for appointing the next superintendent: immediately appointing Rocha, conducting an in-house search for possible candidates or hiring an external search firm to identify candidates.
Appointing Rocha or conducting an internal search would come at no additional loss to the district, while hiring an external firm could cost nearly $30,000. Any search — internal or external — would take months.
At the Jan. 14 board meeting, several parents, teachers and trustees voiced their support for Rocha as the next superintendent, citing his tireless efforts to unify the community over the past three months.
“I think that one of the benefits of our district is that we prioritize internal growth,” Derickson said in an interview with The Falcon. “We are a very tightly knit community, and it’s important to have someone who has an ear to the ground and understands our needs, which is why there’s a lot of internal shifts in our organization.”
Following the meeting, the board surveyed the community, receiving nearly 300 responses. A vast majority supported Rocha’s immediate appointment, emphasizing the need for a unifying leader as soon as possible.
Nearly 30 community members attended Rocha’s special board meeting on Jan. 18, allowing him to directly engage with individuals by personally introducing himself and answering their questions.
“The [goal of this meeting], for me, was to highlight my ability to gather all the stakeholders — students, teachers, parents — set and achieve our goals,” Rocha said. “Whether it was developing the wellness centers, reducing suspensions or addressing safety issues, all the data is there, and we got the results.”
Now as the permanent superintendent, Rocha’s new contract will be finalized at the next board meeting on Feb. 11.
One of his primary targets this semester is to involve more student voices in decisions affecting the two high schools and address the district’s declining enrollment while maintaining the schools’ diverse course offerings. Rocha also launched the “Roaring and Soaring Board Recognition,” honoring outstanding LGHS and SHS students and staff for their contributions and recognizing district-wide achievements during board meetings.
“We’re a phenomenal district, but we’re also never satisfied,” Rocha said. “I want to start recognizing more staff and students and just celebrate their accomplishments more. I want to create a balance of acknowledging our growth, celebrating it and then getting back to work, which is why I’m so excited to lead this district.”
