|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
After eight years, Portola Valley School District’s Superintendent Roberta Zarea will be retiring. In an email to the community, she announced that she is leaving due to recent health developments in her family. Her last day will be on Aug. 6, 2027, after the end of the school year.
“Thank you for your trust, your friendship and your partnership over these past eight years,” said Zarea. “I will forever cherish the memories we’ve shared and the incredible work we’ve accomplished together.”
Zarea plans to retire after 30 years in public education. Prior to joining PVSD in 2019, she was the assistant superintendent of education services for the Saratoga Unified School District and was a principal, vice principal, coordinator of special projects and elementary school teacher in the Union School District.
Zarea was named “Superintendent of the Year” for San Mateo and San Francisco counties in 2021 by ACSA Region 5, a regional organization representing 25 Bay Area school districts.
During her tenure, the district received recognition for academic excellence. Ormondale and Corte Madera received California Distinguished School designations, and the district received several San Mateo County Kent Awards for educational innovation.
The school board also recognized Zarea’s leadership in the district’s early adoption of the science of reading, a research-based literacy curriculum, and the development of AI literacy policies and practices. The district was also able to finish campus upgrades for both of its campuses funded by Measure Z bonds on time and under budget, according to the school board.
“As we look to the future, the Board of Trustees has complete confidence in what lies ahead,” said the school board in a letter. “Thanks to Roberta’s leadership, the Portola Valley School District stands in a position of remarkable educational and fiscal strength.”
Zarea told The Almanac that she hopes her successor will ideally have skills in academic program oversight, fiscal management, safety and risk management, and labor operations.
Zarea added that she looks forward to the next superintendent being resilient and steady under pressure, adaptable, financially disciplined and skilled in data-informed decision-making and coalition building. She said she hopes for a leader who engages with the community, evaluates system performance and metrics, and aligns with local partners.
In the remaining months, Zarea said her “primary focus will be supporting a thoughtful, seamless transition so our momentum continues without missing a beat.”
“Given the strength and reputation of our district, we are confident we will attract an outstanding successor to lead PVSD into its next chapter,” the school board wrote.
The school board announced that it will begin the search for its next superintendent immediately.
