Mill Valley School District superintendent to exit in June
Kimberly Berman, the Mill Valley School District superintendent since July 2019, will depart the post at the end of the school year on June 30.
Berman’s exit, which comes only one year into her second three-year contract, was announced in a statement following a special meeting of the district’s board of trustees on Jan. 11.
The statement said Berman and the board “mutually agreed” upon the decision but provided no reasons for it.
“A lot of thought and deliberation went into this decision from everyone involved,” board president Michele Crncich Hodge said in the announcement. “Dr. Berman’s leadership during some of the most difficult years we have ever faced in education has greatly benefited the district and its students.”
Berman declined to comment beyond a statement that was included in the district’s announcement.
“I am so proud of the work we have accomplished over the last four years,” Berman said. “It’s been a real team effort — from the board, to the administration, to the teachers and staff, to the parents and district partners. Everyone has played an important role in increasing student achievement.”
According to her separation agreement, Berman, whose salary is $299,534, will receive payment for all accumulated vacation days when she leaves, plus a year’s pay and health benefits.
If the district decides to hire an interim superintendent before June 30, Berman has agreed to assist the transition, according to the agreement. She has also agreed not to file suit against the district regarding the circumstances of her departure.
John Carroll, the Marin County superintendent of schools, said he wishes Berman well.
“It’s been my pleasure to work with Dr. Berman as a colleague in Marin for the last four years,” Carroll said. “She is deeply committed to student learning and growth and provided courageous leadership throughout the pandemic. I know she’ll be great at whatever she does next.”
Before coming to Mill Valley, Berman was the superintendent of the Lemon Grove School District in San Diego County and the Greenfield Union School District in Kern County.
The announcement of Berman’s departure comes only a few weeks after a new board majority elected in November took office. Yunhee Yoo, Sharon Nakatani and Natalie Katz were elected to the board after a hotly contested election, joining the two remaining board members, Crncich Hodge and Elli Abdoli.
Crncich Hodge failed to gain the endorsement of Berman or the prior board of trustees when she ran unsuccessfully for Marin superintendent of schools in the June primary last year. Last month, Crncich Hodge nominated herself for board president and was elected by the trustees. Nakatani was elected vice president.
The board will conduct a special study session at 5 p.m. Monday. The session will be followed by a special public meeting at 6:45 p.m. to discuss a recruitment process for Berman’s replacement. Both meetings will be held at the Mill Valley Middle School library at 425 Sycamore Ave.
Berman is the third Marin schools superintendent to announce a departure on June 30, following Jan La Torre-Derby of the Novato Unified School District and Jim Hogeboom of San Rafael City Schools.
“Marin is relatively stable in terms of district leadership,” said Carroll, who was superintendent for both Lagunitas and Bolinas-Stinson Union school districts before he took over the countywide office on Jan. 2.
“As of now, we anticipate that 14 of 17 superintendents will return next year,” Carroll said. “When vacancies do occur, we have historically been able to attract capable leaders, often from within the county.”
Other notable Marin education leadership exits this year include former county schools superintendent Mary Jane Burke, who left on Jan. 1, and David Wain Coon, the College of Marin president, who said he will be leaving in December.