After a search of several months, on June 8, the Sweetwater Union High School trustees settled on Dr. Karen Janney for superintendent.

Janney is no stranger to the district.  She worked as a coach, teacher, principal and assistant superintendent in the district from 1978 until 2009.  She was released as assistant superintendent in 2009 during the time when Jesus Gandara was at the helm.

In 2010 Janney ran unsuccessfully for the Sweetwater school board.  She said in her ballot statement: “It’s time to restore the district’s distinguished reputation. It’s time to bring back a renewed sense of hope, pride, and cooperation within the district.”  In a time when campaign donations were unlimited, and some candidates accepted as much as $20,000 from vendors who had contracts with the district, Janney refused to take any vendor money.

Sweetwater’s leadership has been in turmoil for years.  In 2005 former superintendent Ed Brand, shortly after a grand jury investigation into the district’s ASB accounts, abruptly departed the district to become superintendent of San Marcos Unified– where he lasted less than a year.

In 2006, former board members Jim Cartmill and Arlie Ricasa flew to Texas to vett Jesus Gandara to fill the superintendent position. Gandara was given his walking papers in 2011.  During the Sweetwater corruption investigation in 2013-14, Cartmill and Ricasa pleaded guilty to misdemeanors; Gandara received felony jail time.

Ed Brand, was waiting in the wings as Gandara exited in 2011; Brand served a tumultuous second term as superintendent; he was put on administrative leave in 2014.

Tim Glover, from the County Board of Education, was appointed to fill Brand’s power vacuum in July 2014.  His contract was through March 2015, but in January 2015 he abruptly resigned, ostensibly so that he could vie for the position of superintendent on a permanent basis.

Then the five new board members had to scramble to fill the position.  They chose Phil Stover as interim superintendent in March to serve until they could complete a search for a lasting replacement.  Janney will take Stover’s place on June 23.

The June 8 board meeting was typical for Sweetwater.  The room was packed with people who came to praise Janney–and people who came to make their case about ongoing problems. During public comment, as Janney sat in the audience, she heard about the district’s lack of translators, complaints about pricey venues for graduations, challenges to the district’s accounting for Mello-Roos funds, ongoing concerns about

Principals—and one father who presented a petition for the reinstatement of a band program at Hilltop Middle and High School.

Almost like a cherry on top of Janney’s evening, outgoing Phil Stover was prompted to refer to the superintendent’s position as a “hot seat” and “often a lonely position.”