Almost two months after former superintendent Bill Sanderson abruptly left his position amid controversy and anger over his policies, personality and past actions as an administrator at a school in Georgia, several questions remain unanswered. One of the most important is how and why the district hired him in the first place. Those questions must be answered, but acting superintendent Heath Rocha is leading the way with new changes in an attempt to rebuild fractured community relationships.
For months prior to his departure, the relationship between the community and the district was damaged. According to information released by the district, Sanderson will be on paid leave until June 2025, at which point he will resign. Board president Misty Davies told The Falcon on Nov. 1 that he would be paid his salary until June 30, 2025, in exchange for waiving his right to sue the district.
Sanderson’s leave and resignation was the best course of action for the district. Davies told The Falcon, “Superintendent contracts have clauses where you end up having to spend a year or more of their salaries [buying a contract out], that’s kind of as far as I can tell that’s standard.”
The lack of legal repercussions is best to keep on providing the best possible resources for students within the district.
The acting superintendent — former Assistant Superintendent of student services Heath Rocha — has a steep hill to climb, but he has a worthy top priority: rebuilding staff and community relationships. During an interview with The Falcon in November, Rocha made it clear that this is his priority. He is visiting departments at both schools once per month to have a casual conversation to see what is and isn’t working.
Rocha will also be attending regular meetings with the Saratoga Music Department, a group that came into major conflict with Sanderson. He has offered to chaperone the Saratoga Music Program international tour in the summer of 2025 — pending the board’s approval of the trip. These acts may be small, but they are massive changes from the approach taken by Sanderson.
Rocha has already made steps to mend the music department’s quarrels with the district, spending two hours at dinner with music teachers Michael Boitz and Jason Shiuan in the week after his appointment.
Rocha told The Falcon that he needs students and parents to collaborate with him to identify changes that must occur for the district and school to return to a better relationship.
Davies also made it clear there were concerns between Sanderson and campus organizations that had arisen, but she said the board was unaware of them. Davies and Rocha have made it emphatically clear that they are always to be communicated with if a problem arises.
Trust is all that is required for the distinct-school relationships to work successfully, and Rocha seems to be already taking steps toward the rebuilding of a more productive dynamic.
It is also key to recognize the rift between the district and the community was also a result of the board’s support of former superintendent Sanderson, particularly the approval of Sanderson’s 8% raise and promised health benefits of until 65 earlier in the fall. Part of the process in rebuilding relationships should be focused on the board-community relationship.
Additionally, Rocha has made it clear to students that hearing their voices is imperative to the betterment of the district. Rocha explicitly discussed the highlight of his day being school site visits.
“Almost all people that come to the school site and work with students say that’s the best part of their day, week, month and year,” he said.
As somebody who has been with the district for over 9 years, Rocha knows teachers and other employees at the two schools and district office personnel, making him the best option for the temporary role for the rest of the year and the permanent position when it is advertised in the spring.
