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Politics & Government

School Superintendent Receives Mid-Year Report Card

Board president wouldn't discuss closed session talks but said Superintendent Linda Luna is transitioning smoothly and rising to district challenges.

Seven months into her first school year as superintendent of the Millbrae School District, Linda Luna said she is still amazed at how welcoming the education community has been during her tenure.

“It was nice to come to a new environment where everybody knows everybody and everybody was so supportive,” Luna said after the Board of Trustees meeting Monday night.

Board members discussed Luna’s mid-year evaluation in closed session. Although board President D. Don Revelo said he couldn’t comment on the confidential talks, he said Luna’s has had a positive transition.

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“We feel that she has worked very hard to meet her challenges,” Revelo said.

Her challenges include acting as superintendent while also filling in for vacant positions such as director of curriculum, director of special education and operating without a permanent chief business official, he said.

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The board . Her last post was assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction in the Stockton Unified School District.

She said she went from a district with 38,000 children to leading a district of 2,200 students. “There are more intimate relationships and intimate discussions [in Millbrae],” Luna said.

Board member Frank Barbaro said Luna brought a lot of experience and knowledge from her nearly 30 years of education work.

“She's got a lot of energy,” Barbaro said. “She's all over the place and she is making really good headway for us.”

Also Monday, the board received an update on the search for a new chief business official. School Services of California, a headhunting firm, is leading the search.

Barbaro said the district had two finalists but both backed out at the last minute. “We know it’s tough right now because we are right in the middle of the school year,” he said. “We are going to start off again with a new set of applicants.”

The board also had a conference with labor negotiators and employee organizations but reported no action from any of the three closed session items.

On Wednesday the board will meet in closed session again regarding Luna’s progress. The board will be meeting with her job coach, who was hired by the San Mateo County Office of Education, Barbaro said.

Luna said she is very happy to be at the helm of Millbrae School District. “I love working here,” she said. “I love working with the staff. I love working the parents.”

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