San Juan Unified Names Superintendent

The Board of Education has selected as the district’s superintendent of schools.

Thompson had been in the role on an interim basis while the search was being conducted and will assume his duties permanently effective May 1. His contract will run through June 2015 with an annual salary of $225,000.

Thompson’s salary represents a $20,000 reduction when compared to his predecessor, said district spokesman Trent Allen.

"It is also roughly $20,000 lower than other nearby large school systems like Sacramento City Unified and Elk Grove Unified which are both at the $240-$245,000 range," Allen said.

Indeed, according to Sac City Unified's website, district superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond's total annual compensation is $241,628 – the sixth lowest salary among the superintendents of the 17 largest school districts in the state. Elk Grove Unified District superintendent Dr. Steven Ladd earns an annual salary of $251,944, according to . 

Elk Grove Unified represents the largest population of enrolled students in Sacramento County with 62,416. Sac City Unified represents the second largest enrolled student population with 47,896 students, and San Juan Unified rounds out the top three with 47,116.

Thompson will also be subject to any compensation reductions that other employee groups take including furloughs, benefit changes or salary adjustments. Allen also explained the board is committed to offering competitive compensation to all employees as resources allow.

"He gets the standard management benefit package which is full healthcare for himself, dental, vision and life," Allen said. "He receives a $4,000 annual contribution toward an annuity and $1,000 per month for necessary business travel and incidentals within the district."

Thompson does not get reimbursed for attending any events within the district i.e., luncheons, dinners etc. Nor does he receive mileage or other travel reimbursement within the district, Allen said. He also receives a district paid cell phone.

“Throughout the search process we heard students, teachers, parents, principals and community members tell us that the number one priority in selecting a superintendent was to ensure that the work of our community-developed strategic plan continued,” said president Richard Launey. “Mr. Thompson has been a leader in implementing our strategic plan and we need his strong voice to provide leadership as we build upon the work underway in our schools to close achievement gaps and educate and inspire each student to contribute to our radically evolving world.”

Thompson was  while a search was conducted to find a permanent candidate for the position. He became San Juan Unified’s first chief academic officer in July 2009 building up on his more than 30 years of experience in New Haven and Los Angeles Unified school districts. He has previously served as a teacher, principal, professional development advisor, coordinator of special education and director of instruction.

“We cannot do more with less, we must do differently,” said Thompson. “As state budget cuts continue to take resources away from our schools and classrooms, we must work collaboratively as a community to rethink how we deliver services and educate students to produce 21st century learners and leaders."

A graduate of Texas Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Thompson also holds a master’s in educational psychology from the University of Houston and has completed postgraduate studies at the University of California Los Angeles and Pepperdine University. His full biography can be found at http://www.sanjuan.edu/superintendent.

Recent revisions to the strategic plan have highlighted the need to address achievement gaps among significant groups of students which will be one of Thompson’s areas of focus.

"As the current interim superintendent he’s out at schools constantly and will be continuing his visits as planned," Allen said. "The board’s number-one goal was to ensure the continued work of our community-developed strategic plan, so for now we’ll be staying the course with our focus on balanced literacy and increasing 21st century skills."

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