FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 17, 2023

Sierra Sands USD Board of Education Selects
Dr. April Moore as Superintendent

Ridgecrest, California – On April 15, 2023, the Sierra Sands Unified School District (SSUSD) Board of Trustees selected Dr. April Moore as the district's new Superintendent, effective July 1, 2023. Following a nationwide search and selection process lasting three months, the Board unanimously selected Dr. Moore to succeed Superintendent Dr. Dave Ostash, who is leaving the district to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Self-Insured Schools of California (SISC).

Board President Bill Farris said “Dr. April Moore is a collaborative and proven leader with years of instructional and executive cabinet-level experience working in several school districts. She also has experience working in school districts with like demographics as ours. April clearly has an excitement and genuine passion for student learning. Dr. Moore is going to be a tremendous asset to the district, and her experience will support our continued work to grow a community of engaged learners, connecting to future opportunities through innovative education. She has a visible energy and engaging presence. The entire Board is looking forward to working with Dr. Moore as we continue on the road to academic excellence.”

Dr. Moore’s extensive educational background includes a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California, a Master’s in Education with an emphasis in Instructional Technology from Chapman University, and a Bachelor’s in English from Vanguard University. She’s currently in her sixth year as Assistant Superintendent of Education Services, first in Escondido Union High School District and now in Roseville Joint Union High School District (RJUHSD). Prior to this role, Dr. Moore served as the Director of Educational Services in the Corona-Norco Unified School District (CNUSD), was a high school principal, high school assistant principal, and teacher in CNUSD as well as serving as a Curriculum Coordinator of Secondary Literacy and a Project Specialist at the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. Her vast experiences, combined with district-level leadership in educational and administrative services, uniquely qualify Dr. Moore for the role of Superintendent in the Sierra Sands USD.

Roseville Joint UHSD, Superintendent, John Becker states, “We are excited for Dr. Moore and the community of Sierra Sands. We appreciate the collaborative leadership Dr. Moore brought to RJUHSD. Dr. Moore is a passionate learner and provides a commitment to high expectations and a culture of reflection and growth for her team. We are all looking for the next generation of skilled educational leaders, and Dr. Moore fits this opportunity beyond any measure. Her ability to work with our staff and community to build and redesign systems with clear communication was invaluable and will be difficult to replace. I look forward to working with her in her new capacity as Superintendent.”

“I am honored to have been chosen for this position,” said Dr. Moore. “I want to thank the Board of Education for providing me the opportunity to lead this great school district. I am grateful to serve as the next Superintendent. Sierra Sands has much to celebrate and much work ahead as we seek to continue to support all students to learn at high levels. I am confident that together we can achieve success, as our students deserve the best from us each and every day. Ultimately, our job in public education is to mobilize the whole community to support education that maximizes each student’s potential. In addition, I believe it is critical that we provide our administrators, teachers, counselors, and support staff with the resources, materials, and training necessary to enhance the already high- quality educational experience that our teachers provide our students daily. I’m looking forward to a strong partnership with all stakeholders in support of Sierra Sands USD students.”

Dr. April Moore and her husband Ken reside in Roseville, CA and will be moving to Ridgecrest. Plans for a meet-and-greet opportunity for students, parents, staff, and the school community with Dr. Moore are in process.

Sierra Sands USD

Superintendent Search

The Sierra Sands Unified School District School Board is in the process of conducting an Executive Search for the District’s next Superintendent. Leadership Associates, an executive search firm, was selected to advise the Board in this important process. 

Superintendent Search Process
Superintendent Search Timeline

Updates will be provided on this webpage throughout this process. 

Superintendent Search Online Survey

The Sierra Sands Unified School District Board of Education is asking for your help in selecting our next superintendent. To ensure this is a collaborative and inclusive process, the Board is providing an anonymous online survey and encourages your participation. This is an opportunity for the Board to receive input from students, staff, parents, and community. Please follow the link below to provide your input.

This survey will be open from: March 1st to March 15th, at 4:00 PM.

La Junta está pidiendo su ayuda para seleccionar nuestro próximo superintendente. Para garantizar que este sea un proceso colaborativo e inclusivo, la Junta ofrece una encuesta anónima en línea y lo alienta a participar. Esta es una oportunidad para recibir comentarios de los estudiantes, el personal, los padres y la comunidad. Siga el enlace a continuación para proporcionar su opinión.

Esta encuesta estará abierta desde: March 1st to March 15th, a las 4:00 PM.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How does the search process work?

   The Board is working with Leadership Associates to conduct a rigorous, nationwide search. The Board will seek, receive, consider and review all input from the community, review all candidate applications, interview those candidates determined by the Board and select the new Superintendent. 

2. When will the new Superintendent be hired?

   The Board will approve and publish a timeline which will reflect these details. Please check back if the timeline is not yet posted. These dates are subject to change as the search process continues.

3. How and when do parents and other stakeholders weigh-in?

   The Board will be soliciting input on the characteristics, experience, and skills desired in the next Superintendent via an online survey and stakeholder conference sessions.

4. When will the District share the collected input with the public?

   All information gathered will be presented to the Board and then compiled, summarized, and incorporated into the Superintendent Position Profile / Description, which will be published here following Board review. 

5. Who will make the final selection?

   By law, the Board is solely responsible for hiring the new Superintendent. The Board will seek, receive, and consider all input from the community, review all applications, interview those candidates determined by the Board, and select the new Superintendent.

6. How can the public follow this process?

   Updates regarding the Superintendent search process will be posted here. The Board will also provide updates at its regularly scheduled board meetings and future press releases.

7. Can we find out who is applying?

All application materials, including the names of applicants and any other personally identifiable information, are confidential under law.

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La Junta De Educación de nuestro distrito escolar está en el proceso de conducir una búsqueda ejecutiva para nuestro/a siguente Superintendente. La agencia de búsqueda Leadership Associates, (Asociados de Liderazgo), ha sido seleccionada para asistir en este importante proceso.

Anuncios tocante a esta búsqueda se publicarán en esta página. Favor de regresar para recibir más información tocante a este proceso de gran importancia.

Preguntas Frecuentes:

1. ¿Cómo funciona el proceso de búsqueda?

   La Junta está trabajando con Leadership Associates para realizar una búsqueda rigurosa a nivel nacional. La Junta buscará, recibirá, considerará y revisará todos los comentarios de la comunidad, revisará todas las solicitudes de candidatos, entrevistará a los candidatos determinados por la Junta y seleccionará al nuevo Superintendente.

2. ¿Cuándo se contratará al nuevo Superintendente?

   La Junta tentativamente proporcionará y anunciará un horario con estos detalles en esta página. Favor de regresar a este sitio si todavía no se ha publicado tal horario. Estas fechas están sujetas a cambios a medida que continúa el proceso de búsqueda.

3. ¿Cómo y cuándo contribuyen los padres y otras partes interesadas?

   La Junta solicita información sobre las características, la experiencia y las habilidades deseadas en el próximo Superintendente a través de encuestas en línea y conferencias de partes interesadas. Estos detalles se anunciarán en el cercano futuro.

4. ¿Cuándo compartirá el Distrito los aportes recopilados con el público?

   Toda información de la encuesta comunitaria se compilará, resumirá y presentará según esté disponible en este sitio web.

5. ¿Quién tomará la decisión final?

   Por ley, la Junta es la única responsable de contratar al nuevo Superintendente. La Junta buscará, recibirá y considerará todos los aportes de la comunidad, revisará todas las solicitudes, entrevistará a los candidatos determinados por la Junta y seleccionará al nuevo Superintendente.

6. ¿Cómo puede el público seguir este proceso?

   La información sobre el proceso de búsqueda del Superintendente, incluidas las actualizaciones, se publicará en este sitio web. La Junta proporcionará actualizaciones con respecto a la búsqueda del Superintendente en sus reuniones programadas regularmente y en comunicados de prensa.

7. ¿Podemos enterarnos quien está solicitando o aplicando para el puesto?

Todos los materiales de solicitud, incluidos los nombres de los solicitantes y cualquier otra información de identificación personal, son confidenciales según la ley.