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Sue Sartor named Las Lomitas principal

by Renee Batti

Susan Sartor, who has served as assistant principal of Las Lomitas School since 2005, has been named the school's new principal, effective July 1.

The Las Lomitas Elementary School District board on March 10 voted unanimously to approve Superintendent Eric Hartwig's recommendation to appoint Ms. Sartor. She will replace Gerald Traynor, who served as principal for 10 years and announced in January that he would retire at the end of the school year.

Ms. Sartor's roots with the Las Lomitas district go deep. As a girl, she moved with her family to the Sharon Heights neighborhood of Menlo Park, and attended district schools: the now-closed Ladera School and La Entrada Middle School.

She began her teaching career in San Jose and Redwood City. She returned to the local district in 1988, taking a teaching position at Las Lomitas, a K-3 school located in Atherton. She taught kindergarten, first, and third grades, and in 2002 began teaching English language development at the school, at the same time serving as the site coordinator for the ELD program.

"It is just a thrill for me to have an opportunity to continue working with this district in this new role," Ms. Sartor told The Almanac.

"I always think of Las Lomitas as a three-legged stool," she said, explaining that the "students, staff and parents here are top-notch. You put all those things together and you have the optimal conditions" for a great school.

Mr. Hartwig was unavailable for comment before press time, but in a prepared statement, he said: "In the three years that I have known Sue, I have been extremely impressed with her knowledge of the school and community, and her ability to work with staff and community towards common goals. She is the perfect match for this position, and we are extremely fortunate to have her ready and willing to take on this challenge at this time."

Ms. Sartor and her husband, Mike, the assistant director of public works for the city of Palo Alto, live in Menlo Park. Their two daughters attended Las Lomitas and La Entrada schools.