New Superintendent for Walnut Valley

Dr. Dean Conklin will start work as superintendent for the Walnut Valley Unified School District on Jan. 17 of the new year. The district's board of trustees approved Conklin's appointment in a unanimous vote Wednesday evening.

Conklin is returning to Walnut after five years as the superintendent of Duarte Unified School District. Before moving to Duarte, Conklin spent 12 years in Walnut, where he served as an assistant superintendent.

In a statement to the Walnut board, Conklin said that the district is known for "student achievement, excellence, innovation, and leadership."

"I am very excited about the opportunty to come home," Conklin said. 

Looking forward, Conklin said that trust between him and the board will be a key ingredient for success.

"By selecting me for the primary leadership role in the district you are trusting that I will do a good job," Conklin said, "and in return, my commitment is that I will earn that trust every day that I come in to work."

Outgoing interim superintendent Charles McCully said that he is "thrilled" with the board's selection of Conklin for the position.

McCully said there will be challenges ahead, but that the district is well-positioned to get through the next couple of years.

"It won't be easy," McCully said, "but we'll get there."

Jack LeBrun, assistant superintendent of business services, delivered a presentation to the board Wednesday night forecasting the district's approach to California Gov.-elect Jerry Brown's expected Jan. 10 budget proposal.

The district's first interim budget report, approved by the board Wednesday, passed muster with Los Angeles County Fiscal Advisor Michael Baker, but a change to the school calendar that adds days previously scheduled for furlough could put the district in the red for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. For the next two years, LeBrun said, the district's budget is currently balanced.

In March of 2011, the district will present a revised budget to the County to include a plan for new revenues, cuts, or a combination of both that would balance their books for 2012-2013.

The board's vote to cancel furlough days puts January 14th, January 18th, February 18th and April 22nd back on the district's academic calendar as student instructional days.