LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Just two days after it voted to accept the superintendent’s resignation, the Middletown Unified School District Board of Trustees on Thursday appointed a former board member to be the new superintendent.
Following an hour-and-a-half-long closed session at a special meeting that began late Thursday afternoon, the board emerged and President Misha Grothe announced that it had selected Thad Owens to take on the superintendent’s role, pending contract approval.
The Thursday meeting was the second special meeting the board has held this week. During the first, on Tuesday night, the board accepted the resignation of Superintendent Tim Gill.
The board had said in a statement issued after the Tuesday meeting that it intended to look for an interim superintendent immediately.
However, based on the announcement at the Thursday meeting, Owens’ hiring does not appear to be on an interim basis.
Owens served a portion of a term on the school board before resigning, without giving a reason, in November. Allison Berlogar later was appointed to fill his seat.
He will succeed Gill, who resigned on Monday and left the following day after only four months on the job.
Gill has not given a public reason for his departure. However, on Wednesday the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported that it had served a search warrant on a parent who is alleged to have recorded a conversation with Gill without his knowledge.
Owens is listed as a principal for the Konocti Unified School District’s Blue Heron Opportunity High School on that district’s website.
He’s also previously served as principal at Middletown Middle School and Minnie Cannon Elementary School, according to his LinkedIn page.
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Middletown Unified hires new superintendent
- Elizabeth Larson
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