Ex-San Diego superintendent to take helm of Woodside district Ex-San Diego superintendent to take helm of Woodside district (March 31, 2004)

** Last job ended abruptly, but Woodside board praises his experience, leadership.

By David Boyce
Almanac Staff Writer

The former superintendent of the Rancho Santa Fe School District -- a one-school, K-8 district near San Diego with some of the top academic scores in the state -- will take over as the new superintendent and principal of the Woodside Elementary School District, also a one-school, K-8 district with top-ranking academic test scores.

At a March 26 meeting, the five trustees on the Woodside district's governing board voted unanimously to appoint Daniel Vinson to the $140,000-a-year post. His appointment is effective July 1, when current superintendent and principal John Harter has said he will retire.

The compensation package for the three-year contract includes mileage and health-care benefits, Mr. Vinson said. More than 40 candidates applied for the job, said board president Lori Livingston.

"I thoroughly enjoy working in a small school district where I have daily contact with students and staff," Mr. Vinson said in an interview. "My most gratifying experiences are as a principal."

The Woodside district has 437 students enrolled, about half that of the Rancho Santa Fe School District.

A sudden end

Mr. Vinson's three-year term with the Rancho Santa Fe district came to a surprising and abrupt end in February when four of the five members of the district's board voted not to renew his contract, Ms. Livingston said.

By way of explanation, Ms. Livingston said the Rancho Santa Fe community was "deeply divided" over choosing a site for a second school. Mr. Vinson could not be reached for comment before press time.

Woodside district board members visited the Rancho Santa Fe district and talked with district staff, teachers, parents and other San Diego County superintendents, Ms. Livingston said.

"Our visit confirmed that Dr. Vinson is an outstanding choice for our district," she said, adding that he is "an excellent match for our school and community (and) has tremendous personal integrity and warmth. ... He brings a first-hand understanding of the unique challenges that a high-performing district presents."

While Mr. Vinson was superintendent at Rancho Santa Fe, teacher compensation rose, as did the budget reserve, and he re-established special education services in the district, Ms. Livingston said.

Mr. Vinson began his 33-year career in education in 1971 at the Berryessa Union School District in San Jose, said Woodside trustee Tom Mudd. During his five years at Berryessa, Mr. Vinson taught elementary school and was a middle school counselor.

His next two positions were as a middle-school principal, for three years at the Loma Prieta Joint Union Elementary School District in Los Gatos, and for six years in the Mountain View School District. During the last nine years of his 22-year stay at Mountain View, he was an assistant superintendent.

Mr. Vinson has a bachelor's degree from California State University, Chico; a master's degree in education administration from San Jose State University; and a doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco.

Mr. Vinson and his wife, Sarajane, have a house in Saratoga, where they will continue to live, he said. The couple has two grown children living in San Diego.

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