School board confirms new district Supt.

DOWNTOWN — Burbank school board members today voted unanimously to appoint a new district superintendent, less than three months after Supt. Kevin Jolly announced his resignation, effective June 30, after just six months on the job.

Visalia Unified School District Supt. Stan Carrizosa will take over Burbank Unified July 1 on a four-year contract after board members approved his $235,000 annual salary.

Burbank Unified school board members traveled to Visalia, which is at roughly the midpoint between Bakersfield and Fresno in the Central Valley, on Feb. 1, meeting in closed session regarding the possible appointment and contract.

The swift appointment surprised some local stakeholders, who were critical of Jolly’s leadership style and wary of such a quick turn around in leadership. They had taken issue with the review process that led to Jolly in the first place, claiming it lacked adequate community input.

Addressing the school board at the special meeting Thursday, Jerry Mullady, president of the Burbank Teachers Assn. said some teachers and parents had noted a lack of transparency in the vetting of Carrizosa, “which was a surprise to everyone.”

“Are we going down the same route again?” he asked, referring to the process that led to Jolly’s appointment.

Acknowledging the management shake ups, school board President Dave Kemp said Carrizosa, 50, had expressed his desire to make district employees better at their jobs.

“It is bittersweet that we have to go through this two years in a row,” Kemp said.

Carrizosa, who was not at the meeting, was notified of the board's decision by phone.

Unlike Jolly, Carrizosa hails from a much a larger district, which at about 32,000 students is roughly double the size of Burbank. Carrizosa has been superintendent at Visalia Unified since 2001.