Santa Rosa district hires ex-Live Oak superintendent Morales over staff, parents’ objections

Editor’s note: This story is republished with permission of The Press Democrat of Sonoma and Napa counties; find the original here. You can find Lookout’s coverage of turmoil in Live Oak School District here.

There were parallel conversations happening at Wednesday night’s Santa Rosa City Schools district board meeting, where trustees voted in a controversial candidate as the district’s new superintendent.

The first involved the persistent concerns of parents and district staff who question whether incoming superintendent Daisy Morales’ previous experience at Santa Cruz County’s Live Oak School District – a much smaller school district and equivalent to only 10% of Santa Rosa’s size – qualifies her to lead the much larger district. The second involved district and site staff who urged the community to give her a chance.

During their final meeting of the school year, board trustees approved the hiring of Morales 5-1. Trustee Jeremy De La Torre cast the lone dissenting vote.

Morales attended the meeting but didn’t speak during it. She is coming to Santa Rosa from Santa Cruz County, where she served as superintendent of Live Oak School District, which is comprised of five elementary schools and one middle school.

Morales resigned earlier this year after the district received formal notice of bad fiscal standing from the local county office of education and union representatives in the district cast a no-confidence vote in her leadership.

Santa Rosa City Schools district board president Omar Medina addressed community members’ concerns, stating that while the board acknowledges Morales’ shortcomings at Live Oak, members also commended the increase in test scores in language arts and math, her success securing grant funding and a family engagement program she pioneered.

“Several have expressed — and we understand — their concerns about Dr. Morales at her previous district,” Medina said. “I would like to express that Santa Rosa City Schools has a robust and experienced fiscal team.”

He also addressed the concerns about Morales’ tenuous relationships with the Live Oak teachers union.

“Dr. Morales is dedicated to continuing the positive relationship we have with the Santa Rosa Teachers Association … and [to ensuring] a collaborative work environment,” he added.

Other trustees expressed their confidence in the incoming superintendent, too.

“I know that it is frustrating that due to the confidential nature of personnel matters and district process, there are parts of this story that the board is privy to but the community does not get to hear,” said trustee Roxanne McNally. “I know that’s frustrating that we were asking you to trust us.”

McNally said she has “full confidence” in Morales.

“We saw something in Dr. Morales that really made it clear she’s a leader and has the capacity to grow in this position,” said trustee Alegría De La Cruz.

Even so, many of the teachers, parents and staff who commented during Wednesday’s session remained unconvinced.

Some asked why the hiring process to replace outgoing Superintendent Anna Trunnell felt rushed, while others suggested the board reopen the application process and hire a search firm to conduct a more thorough candidate search.

These sentiments were also expressed by a few community leaders, including a previous Santa Rosa City Schools board president who called Morales “transparently and absolutely unqualified.”

After the short public comment, Trunnell addressed transparency concerns and the overall process used to find a new superintendent.

She assured meeting attendees that the search began in April and was thorough in the months that followed.

Trunnell also clarified that she will assist with the transition process during the first few weeks, despite her final day as superintendent being this upcoming Sunday.

When Morales starts as superintendent on July 1, her base salary will be $261,537, Trunnell’s current salary.

Morales has “big shoes to fill,” many said, in a slew of positive comments about the outgoing Trunnell, who leaves the district after three years.

Santa Rosa Teachers Association President Kathryn Howell and California School Employees Association President Mary Lehman applauded Trunnell’s willingness to sit at their bargaining table and for the way she maintained open communication during difficult times and searched for solutions by creating committees to address concerns.

A teary-eyed Trunnell bid farewell, expressing her gratitude and her hope for the future of the district under the new superintendent.

“The transition from one superintendent to another … comes with its own stressors about change, about forging new relationships,” she said before the board approved Morales’ hiring. “Give the superintendent time to get her footing here; give her time to get situated as a new member of our community.”

A similar sentiment was felt by April Santos, principal of Montgomery High School, which is often used as an example for the district’s responsibility to address concerns about school violence since a student died after a fight broke out on campus in the spring of 2023.

“Having my experience at Montgomery this last year — we have to give somebody a chance,” Santos said before the meeting began. “I think it’s really valuable to give this new superintendent the opportunity to be our superintendent and get to know us.”

Report For America corps member Adriana Gutierrez covers education and child welfare issues for The Press Democrat. You can reach her at Adriana.Gutierrez@pressdemocrat.com.

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