After years of turmoil, the San Ysidro School District Board of Trustees has selected a new Superintendent from a field of 51 applicants.

On Saturday, the school board interviewed five finalists, and returned on Sunday for final interviews with two candidates before selecting Dr. Julio Fonseca as the new leader of San Diego’s southernmost school district.

Dr. Fonseca, 39, who officially starts on July 1st, currently serves as Associate Superintendent of Bassett Unified School District in Los Angeles County. During his career as an educator, Dr. Fonseca has served as a teacher, counselor, principal, and administrator.

“The community is ready to come together for positive change, “ Dr. Fonseca said after his selection. “Our kids deserve the absolute best opportunity to succeed and it is up to all of us to make it happen for them. I’m excited to get started,” Fonseca added.

A native of Miami, Dr. Fonseca holds a BA in Sociology from Cal Poly Pomona, a Master’s of Social Work and a Doctorate of Education from the University of Southern California (USC), as well as the state approved credentials to serve as an administrator.

“Julio Fonseca is a dynamic leader with the right background to help deliver the best education to our students,” said Marcos Diaz, Vice President of the San Ysidro School Board.

Dr. Fonseca will replace Interim Superintendent Edward Velasquez who was hired on a temporary basis in February to help turn the district around from near financial insolvency. Mr. Velasquez will continue serving the district as a consultant to help ensure a smooth transition.

“I want to make sure that reforms we have started continue until our school district is fixed, from the inside out,” commented Rodolfo Linares, Secretary of the San Ysidro School Board.

During the past three years, the district has had three Interim Superintendents after then-Superintendent Manuel Paul was indicted by the District Attorney in a wide sweeping corruption scandal. Mr. Paul resigned in 2013 and pled guilty earlier this year in Federal Court to a misdemeanor count after he admitted to extorting $2,500 from a prospective contractor. Following Mr. Paul’s resignation, then-Assistant Superintendent Gloria Madera served as Interim Superintendent for one year, and Dr. George Cameron served for 9 months as Interim Superintendent leading up to the hiring of Mr. Velasquez.

During Mr. Velasquez’s short stint as Interim, he initiated a complete review of the district’s finances. Since February, the district has been removed from negative budget certification, raised its credit rating from junk status to A rating, refinanced outstanding bonds to save taxpayers over $70 million dollars, and resolved two long-standing lawsuits, including a $12 million jury judgment stemming from a wrongful contract termination.

Dr. Fonseca has been briefed on the status of the district’s finances and has reviewed the current budget to better understand the job he now takes over. Although many aspects of the district’s finances have been addressed, Dr. Fonseca expects more changes and improvements to continue under his leadership.

“I take this job with the full understanding that we still have a lot of work to do to return our schools to the level of academic performance parents demand and expect,” Dr. Fonseca added. “I know it won’t be easy, but the results will be worth the effort. I will need the help of our teachers, parents, and students as we work toward the higher goals we aspire to reach.”

Dr. Fonseca’s humble beginnings cemented his unwavering commitment to protecting the rights of all students he serves. Born the son of immigrant parents who had very limited education, Dr. Fonseca entered the public school system speaking only Spanish. Although he faced many challenges, he was able to experience the transformational power that a quality public education provides regardless of ethnic background, class, status, and language.

From his earliest days as an educator, he focused on making certain that every student has both access to quality schools and the support and services the students and family needs to achieve academically and in life outside of school. As an instructional leader, he has been involved in policy setting and in the implementation of non-typical educational organizations.

Dr. Fonseca has developed direct instruction curriculum for alternative schools which serve the most disenfranchised youth and worked with various school community stakeholders to develop policies that protect the rights of children.

“My background is very similar to many of the students in San Ysidro schools. I have walked in their shoes, experienced similar challenges, and I hope that I can help provide them a path to a brighter future,” Dr. Fonseca concluded.

Dr. Fonseca plans to move to the San Ysidro area next month to live in the community he will serve.