Dear Las Lomitas Community,
I’m writing today to announce my retirement after over five years as your superintendent. While I’d intended to retire at the end of last school year, I was waylaid by a cancer diagnosis and didn’t want to end my 31-year career (14 as a superintendent) without having an opportunity to spend as much time as I could on campus. Unfortunately, my diagnosis
put me at risk of contracting COVID or any other infection from the very students I adore.
I shared my retirement plans with our board president this summer and the full board in September. My official end date will be August 30, 2025. This will give the district ample time to find and onboard a new superintendent.
Over the last five years, our district has faced some very eventful times fraught with big challenges such as…
COVID, which hit 9 months after I started here at LLESD
Flooding at Las Lomitas
Construction at both sites
Dare I say, Twitter-gate
Conflict about our Ladera School site
Impasse and a possible strike
Just a few days ago, I reached the one-year anniversary of my bone-marrow transplant. I’m cancer free and feeling really strong. I can safely spend as much time as I want on campus, so expect to see much more of me as I work with staff, students and the community to manage our current circumstances and complete the work of the strategic plan in its fifth
year.
Despite the tenor of the last few months, I've felt that our work together stands on its own in its value for students, families and staff. The staff’s commitment to student well-being, belonging, and full inclusion is unique and commendable. I feel like our work together will benefit those students for many years to come.
I look forward to finishing this year strong and having plenty of time to celebrate our successes, experience the joy of the work, and reconnect after this time we’ve spent apart and in conflict.
Sincerely,
Dr. Beth Polito
Superintendent
