The Small School Districts' Association (SSDA) is pleased to announce Scott Borba, Superintendent/Principal of Le Grand Union Elementary School District, as its new Executive Director effective July 1, 2026. With more than 20 years of experience in small, rural, and high-needs school districts, Borba demonstrates a proven record of advocacy, collaboration, and student-centered leadership at the local, state, and national levels.

Borba currently leads the Le Grand Union Elementary School District, a single-school K–8 district serving a rural agricultural community. During his tenure, he has strengthened fiscal stability while increasing certificated and classified salaries by nearly 25 percent, implemented systems that significantly reduced discipline referrals, and expanded opportunities for students through innovative programs such as coding, robotics, esports, and computer science pathways.   

Borba shared his enthusiasm for leading the organization and continuing to advocate for small and rural school districts across California.  

“I’m honored to lead SSDA and excited to work alongside our members, our board, and our education partners to strengthen our collective voice, expand opportunities for connection and learning, and ensure small districts are heard loud and clear in Sacramento,” said Borba. “Small districts do big things for kids. Our leaders wear many hats, solve problems creatively, and show up every day for their communities. SSDA exists to champion that work, and I’m humbled and honored to serve the leaders who make California’s small schools extraordinary.”  

Borba has also held leadership positions in statewide and national organizations, including the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), where he has advocated for policies supporting students and educators in small and rural communities. 

Placer high school jazz band performance

Dr. Bill Chapman & Dr. Melissa Sadorf

Recognizing retiring superintendents

SSDA’s biggest Annual State Conference yet! Don’t miss these highlights.

This year, SSDA hosted its largest conference to date, with over 500 attendees. The focus was on showing how small districts can make a big impact. We want to thank all of our small and rural school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, signature partners, associate members, and affiliate partners for joining us.

A special thank you to Dr. Melissa Sadorf, Executive Director of the National Rural Education Association (NREA), and Dr. Bill Chapman, NREA President, for highlighting the important work being done for rural schools across the country. Keep scrolling in the newsletter to learn more about NREA’s annual conference and how to submit a session for their next event.

This exceptional conference was possible because of YOU, so thank you.

We look forward to seeing you next year in Napa for the 2027 Annual State Conference at the Meritage Resort & Spa. More details coming soon.

Casino night fun!

TopGolf good times!

The AI Fireside Chat Panel

Proposals are due March 27, 2026!

Small and rural school district in California it is time to participate in the Rural Innovation & Impact Showcase, a new national competition debuting at the 2026 National Forum to Advance Rural Education. This is a unique opportunity to highlight the programs, initiatives, and practices making a real difference in rural schools and communities.

Selected projects will be presented live at the Forum, gain national recognition, and compete for a $5,000 award to support continued impact. The Showcase is open to rural schools, districts, higher education institutions, regional service agencies, nonprofits, and educator- or student-led initiatives.

July 25-27, 2026 | Hyatt Regency Newport Beach

Register now for the 2026 Small School Superintendent Retreat! Registration is open exclusively to SSDA school district members, and members can take advantage of a discounted rate through April 17. Rates increase after that date, so secure your spot today!

Open to all small, rural, and charter school administrators across California! Join colleagues for meaningful collaboration, empowering breakout sessions, and shared conversations that strengthen leadership in small school districts. In addition to professional growth, there will be dedicated time to recharge and reconnect with fellow small and rural school district administrators who share your commitment to serving their communities.

The Elevat-Ed Forum for Superintendents is a structured leadership coaching program designed for Superintendents.

The program blends practical leadership guidance, real-time problem solving, and a professional learning community to support Superintendents as they navigate governance, systems leadership, community engagement, and organizational culture. The Elevat-Ed Forum strengthens leadership capacity, accelerates professional growth, and builds a trusted network, helping Superintendents lead with confidence, clarity, and impact.

Credit: EdSource | Early March 2026

Parts of a building decaying at Fall River Junior-Senior High School in McArthur.

A recent EdSource article highlights that students in small and rural school districts across California are learning in unsafe, outdated, and overcrowded buildings, with little hope of repairs anytime soon. Fall River Joint Unified School District in Shasta County is one example. Superintendent Morgan Nugent shared that many of the district’s century-old buildings “look good on the outside but with infrastructure that is falling apart,” including asbestos contamination, ancient gas lines, and portables over 60 years old. During last winter’s rains, water poured into classrooms, creating unsafe learning conditions.

The article also details a statewide lawsuit arguing that California’s funding system favors wealthy districts while leaving property-poor districts without the resources to make necessary upgrades. Students deserve safe, healthy classrooms as a basic minimum, and these inequities cannot continue.

Read the full EdSource article, California lawsuit asks judge to halt billions for school repairs until state commits to grant it equitably, to learn more about Fall River and the urgent need for equitable school facility funding.

A Partnership of Inclusivity and Respect
By Dr. Craig Mello, Principal at Keyes Elementary School

Last February, Turlock Unified School District notified Keyes Union Elementary School District that they would be returning the responsibility of their two TK-2 autism classes to Keyes Elementary School due to significant overcrowding and a shortage of staff. Although a two-year notice to return such a program is typically given according to SELPA policy, we were given only nine months to prepare. Having lost our regionalized provider, KUSD was forced to quickly find placement for these students, while experiencing staffing challenges of its own.

Soon after that, the Stanislaus County Office of Education got involved. Hearing about the challenges facing Keyes, they volunteered to staff the two displaced classes if Keyes could provide the location. The offer was accepted, and after fine-tuning our facilities, we started the 2025-2026 school year with two new autism classes on our Keyes Elementary School campus, each with its own off-site SCOE principal who would manage their classroom remotely. With the county’s support and the focused leadership of KES administration and teachers, these new students would join our population of 475 general education students and become a part of our Keyes Elementary School community. 

But it wasn’t a seamless process. From one day to the next, Keyes Elementary School would have a special education population of 15.5%, one of the highest in Stanislaus County. Understandably, many stakeholders had questions about their individual responsibilities and those that would be shared, despite strong, intentional planning.

From a managerial perspective, concerns about staffing, attendance, and communication were at the forefront. Would Keyes Elementary School provide substitutes when SCOE teachers and paraprofessionals were out sick?  Would KES provide SCOE teachers with a prep period and include their classes in our PE schedule? Who would handle discipline with three different principals? How would attendance be taken if neither KES nor SCOE classes have access to each other's attendance platforms? And whose responsibility would it be to ensure that breaks, lunches, and coverage would happen correctly? 

Veteran special education teachers Susan Navarrette and Cynthia Ruiz had different concerns. Would the general education staff at Keyes Elementary School be accepting of their new SCOE population and would mainstreaming be met with resistance? How would the KES after-school program staff monitor SCOE students who enroll in the after-school program, and how would bathrooms and toileting work with KES’s limited bathroom facilities? All stakeholders were justifiable in their concerns. 

But long before students arrived on the first day of school, our goal for the union between KUSD and SCOE was one of inclusivity. We wanted our SCOE students, parents, and teachers to feel like they were part of our KES family despite being under the umbrella of the county. But to do so, we would spend the next several months vigorously determining each of our individual responsibilities and those that we would share. It was as if we were given a blank Venn Diagram and we were filling it in daily as we discovered what worked and how responsibilities would be distributed.

What ended up developing was a true model of collaboration. Instead of getting bogged down with the minutia of management, obstacles were met with compassion and efficiency by all stakeholders. Now, three months later, SCOE students seamlessly mainstream into general education classrooms daily, SCOE teachers routinely train after-school staff on appropriate procedures for working with autistic children, and SCOE students regularly attend field trips with general education classes and teachers. On top of that, all KUSD district personnel have been trained in autism awareness, and many wear lanyards with visual cues to help our new students communicate and regulate their emotions. 

“Having worked with different schools in different districts, my experience with mainstreaming and inclusion wasn’t always the best,” Ruiz says.  “I was used to having uncomfortable conversations with gen ed teachers when my students weren’t being included.” But this wasn’t the case at KES. From the onset, teachers were excited to play a role in mainstreaming. Teachers would take students by the hand and walk them to and from class during mainstreaming time. “Not only did students do wonderfully,” she said, “but they also had sensory supports just in case.” Navarette cites the amazing support of her TK general ed counterparts at Keyes Elementary and the program’s benefit to the general education population as well. “It’s about bringing awareness and sensitivity to the fact that we are all unique learners, and that each of us processes information in our own unique way,” she said.

Now, with three months of school completed, no one would know there was a “school within a school” at Keyes Elementary. Alicia Heckinger, SCOE principal and Director of Special Programs, described it best, saying, “Our relationship is a powerful reminder of what happens when a school community leads with heart, flexibility, and teamwork. Hosting an autism population isn’t always easy, but when we work together like this- with trust and genuine care- the results are nothing short of inspiring.” 

Kristy Mabee, SCOE principal and Program Director, said, “Although this is our first experience with Keyes Elementary School, the collaboration and support we’ve received has been exceptional.” She cites the help of all Keyes Union School District staff from the superintendent to the custodial staff for ensuring classrooms and facilities are appropriate.  “This partnership has been such a positive and collaborative experience,” she said. “I only wish every new classroom could start out this way.” 

As principal of Keyes Elementary School, I’m proud to say that our partnership with the Stanislaus County Office of Education has truly been one of inclusivity, collaboration, and support. We still have to address a concern here and there, of course, but I’m happy to say that our once empty Venn diagram has filled in nicely, with the respect, understanding, and gratitude of everyone involved. Every one of us is proud of the relationship we’ve created and the extended family we’ve become.

While five sessions have already taken place, registration is still open for the final session! These sessions are free for SSDA members, and we encourage superintendents and board members to participate.

Each session includes a 30-minute presentation by Randy Erickson of McDougal, Boehmer, Foley, Lyon, Mitchell & Erickson, giving attendees the opportunity to earn their FPPC Ethics Compliance Certificate.

The next session is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14th, from 5:30 PM to 6:45 PM, beginning with a presentation from Brett McFadden and Barrett Snider on navigating your district's finances, followed by Randy Erickson’s FPPC ethics session. Watch the recordings from the past sessions here.

Our annual summer conference has evolved into the 2026 Small School Superintendent Summit, now open to all small school administrators! Join us July 25–27, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach. Register by April 17 to lock in the discounted rate. We hope to see you there!

Each school year, from September through May, we host one-hour roundtables for superintendents, charter school leaders, CBOs/fiscal staff, and executive assistants. These sessions give member districts and county offices the chance to connect with one another, while expert speakers share insights on topics relevant to small and rural school districts. The graphic above shows the remaining sessions for this school year.

Participation is exclusive to members. If your district is not yet a member and you would like to join, please email staff@ssda.org.

SSDA is proud to offer an upgraded, member-centered Board Policy Program designed specifically for small and rural California school districts. This service provides clear, compliant, and regularly updated board policies aligned with current state and federal law.

If you would like to join the SSDA Board Policy Program list, please register here. Enrollment is handled one at a time, in the order in which requests are received. Learn more on our website. 

Contacts for the Board Policy Program: 

Karen Mix, Karen@ssda.org & Laissa Caraveo, Laissa@ssda.org

Secure Prop 2 funding quickly and efficiently using Edapt’s AI-powered tool, now available through SSDA. This innovative solution makes drafting a Five-Year Facilities Master Plan fast, affordable, and simple.

Here's how it works: 

Learn more by watching the video below!

Below are excellent STEAM resources designed to support small and rural school districts throughout California.

The Exploratorium invites you to join a year-long cohort of California education leaders as they explore the many facets of climate science teaching in PK-12 contexts.

Attend a week-long Summer Program: July 20-24, 2026, in person at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. 

Join four virtual workshops throughout the 2026-27 school year.

Cost: There is NO FEE associated with this workshop. 

The Exploratorium offers the following to program participants:

Participation stipends (for those who are not paid by their worksite for PD time); travel stipends to subsidize travel costs;  hotels and meals during in-person programming.

Who should apply? If you support PK-12 science teaching and learning, have some agency in making decisions about what is taught in your school/district/county, and are ready to implement California’s new climate science education legislative mandate (AB285) in your context, you should apply. Apply with a colleague to enhance your experience through increased opportunity for shared contextual insights and implementation.

Please apply by April 3, 2026. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by April 17. If you have questions, please contact zgoodall@exploratorium.edu.

Empower Your Students: Join us for 2026 CSPDWeek in Long Beach!

We are thrilled to invite California K-12 public school educators to the 2026 CSPDWeek! Whether you teach Elementary or Secondary, Science, Math, English, or Computer Science, this immersive, community-driven program is designed to help you grow professionally through interactive, in-person workshops.

From July 20–24, 2026, educators will gather in Long Beach to build the systemic capacity for equitable and sustainable computer science education across California. No prior CS experience is required—our workshops are tailored to help educators at every level teach computer science with confidence.

Why Join Us?

Supportive Community: Connect with CS education experts and a statewide peer network.

Incentives: Participants can opt in to receive a stipend for full and active participation.

Funding: This program is proudly funded by the CDE’s 2023 Educator Workforce Investment Grant: CS.

This event will include the following workshops:

- Grades K-12 Educators: Equity-Minded Instruction for Computer Science

- Grades 3-5 Educators: Leveraging Micro:bits for Inclusive and Interdisciplinary Learning

- Grades 6-8 Educators: CS Integration for Science and Math with Micro:bits

- Grades 9-12 Educators: Bootstrap Artificial Intelligence

- Grades 9-12 Educators: AP CS A with CSAwesome

Ready to dive in? > Learn more and register at www.seasonsofcs.org

Please note - Registration for educators who have not attended prior years’ CSPDWeek will open by  March 31st. Prior CSPDWeek attendees may register starting on April 16th, 2026.

Join us for an interactive, engaging, and collaborative event designed to:

- Strengthen your approach to math, science, and computer science.

- Connect learning with CA Math Standards and CA Foundations.

- Empower educators and families with joyful, hands-on strategies.

Walk away with practical strategies, classroom-ready activities, and a renewed passion for teaching math and science

We are now fewer than three months away from the June 2 primary election and California's gubernatorial race is shaping up to be one of the most consequential and difficult to predict in recent memory.

The filing deadline passed on March 6, leaving the ballot with eight Democrats and two Republicans. According to two recent reputable polls, five candidates make up the top tier and are in a statistical dead heat for the top two positions as the primary ballot takes shape. 

PPIC Poll

The latest PPIC Statewide Survey (Feb 3-11, 2026):

1. Steve Hilton (R, 14%)

2. Katie Porter (D, 13%)

3. Chad Bianco (R, 12%)

4. Eric Swalwell (D, 11%)

5. Tom Steyer (D, 10%)

The remaining candidates, including former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former Controller Betty Yee, former Attorney General Xavier Becerra, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, and current State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, are each polling in the single digits.

UC Berkeley/Politico Poll

A new UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion-Politico Poll (Feb 24-March 3, 2026):

1. Steve Hilton (R, 19%)

2. Tom Steyer (D, 13%)

3. Eric Swalwell (D, 11%)

4. Chad Bianco (R, 11%)

5. Katie Porter (D, 11%)

The remaining candidates polled in the low single digits, led by Xavier Beccera at 5% and descending from there to include Villaraigosa (4%), Mahan (3%), Yee (2%), Ian Calderon (2%), and Thurmond (1%).

Are you looking for your next opportunity in education or trying to find the perfect candidate for your small school district?

The SSDA Job Board is your go-to hub for job postings across California’s small and rural school districts!

Explore job openings or post a position here: https://www.ssda.org/page/jobs

Director of Fiscal Services - Mountain Empire Unified School District

Application Deadline: Until Filled

Salary Range: Placement on Classified Management Salary Schedule Range 17 ($75,493 to $116,382)

Application Link: https://www.edjoin.org/Home/JobPosting/2185978

The Director of Fiscal Services is responsible for planning, organizing, communicating, and overseeing the daily operations of the district's business office. This role includes managing the business office personnel, accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, payroll, benefits, absence management, risk management, ASB, accounts payable, accounts receivable, external audits, student attendance, and fixed assets. The Director of Fiscal Services ensures effective communication and record-keeping to support smooth fiscal operations and establishes robust internal accounting procedures, records, safeguards, and controls. In addition, they support the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services in all functions of the Business Services Department. This position reports to the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services. Learn more about Mountain Empire Unified School District.

Superintendent/Principal, Le Grand Union Elementary School District

The Le Grand Union Elementary School District Board of Trustees is seeking a collaborative leader who can build on district strengths while developing a vision for the district's future. Students at LGEUSD have access to a robust computer science curriculum equipping them with 21st-century skills, the only elementary competitive robotics program in Merced County, eSports, competitive sports, Junior Medical Academy, small class sizes, designated STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Art & Math) instruction, afterschool programming, community childcare and SO MUCH more...Individuals with a strong educational leadership background and excellent communication skills are invited to apply. 

Education Leadership Services (ELS) has been contracted by the district to assist with the recruitment for this position. For instructions on how to apply, and information about the position and timeline, please visit the ELS website and select the listing for this position. 

For general information, contact:

José L. González, Search Consultant

jgonzalez@els4u.org

(209)535-3259

Salary: Competitive and negotiable, based on education and experience; 350 ADA.

Le Grand Union Elementary School District Application

Application Deadline: 5:00 p.m. PST, May 10, 2026

The Superintendent/Principal position begins July 1, 2026.

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