Brentwood Union Taps Interim Superintendent, Launches Search for Next Leader

With its superintendent leaving at the end of December, the Brentwood Union School District Board of Education moved Oct. 21, 2026, to secure the district's leadership through the transition. Trustees voted 4-0 to hire retired Walnut Creek superintendent Marie Morgan as interim leader and to seek bids from executive search firms. Staff also laid out how to spend an estimated $9 million in one-time state money without creating a long-term budget gap.

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• Interim superintendent approved: Retired superintendent Marie Morgan will lead from January to June, approved 4-0
• Search-firm bidding authorized, 4-0: Finalist firms could present at the board's second November meeting
• $9M one-time state block grant mapped to a $3M math adoption, teacher laptops and vehicles
• New Title I clerical aide role created, 4-0: A half-time position costs about $37,000

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Leadership Handoff Set as Superintendent Departs

Why it matters: The district's top job opens in January. These two votes decide who runs the district in the meantime and how the board will find a permanent leader.

Where things stand: Morgan, a retired Walnut Creek superintendent, "would be working from January to June while the board was conducting a process to look for the next permanent superintendent," said Dana Eaton, Superintendent.

Eaton said retiree rules limit Morgan to a couple of days a week. A part-time interim means much of the daily load will likely fall on district staff and the board during the spring.

The search: The request for proposals (RFP) for executive search services was developed with Board President Scott Dudek. Eaton said it would go out that night or the next morning. Finalist firms could present to the board at its second November meeting. Releasing the RFP does not commit the board to hiring a firm.

Board President Dudek tied the two votes together. Both were prompted by one fact, he said: "Our current superintendent will be leaving at the end of December."

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The board approved both items with no recorded debate.

• Interim agreement: For: 4, Against: 0, Absent: 1
• Search RFP: For: 4, Against: 0, Absent: 1

Trustee Thornhill was excused from the meeting. For families and staff, the votes mean an experienced administrator will be in place on Jan. 1. For search firms, the bidding window opens right away. Because the board kept the option not to hire a firm, it retains control over how the search is run.

What's next: Search firm finalists may appear at the board's second November meeting. The board will then decide whether to hire a firm and how to structure the search for a permanent superintendent.

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One-Time Money, One-Time Needs: The $9M Plan

The basics: A discretionary block grant is flexible state money that districts can spend on locally chosen priorities. Because this grant is one-time money, spending it on recurring costs such as ongoing salaries would leave a structural deficit when it runs out.

Why it matters: The enacted state budget gives Brentwood an estimated $9 million in one-time funds, up from $2.9 million in one-time funds the prior year. How the district spends it will shape classrooms and operations for years.

Where things stand: A district business official sorted possible uses into three categories:

• Green: one-time money paying for a one-time need
• Yellow: spending that needs an exit strategy before the money ends
• Red: spending that creates structural risk

One yellow example: on June 17, the board voted to move intervention teachers off the general fund for two years.

The proposed spending list:

• Math: a $3 million math curriculum adoption over two years, plus $150,000 for math training
• Professional learning: $75,000 this year and $150,000 in each of the next two years
• Social-emotional curriculum: $100,000
• Technology: $250,000 a year for five years for teacher laptops, plus a cloud-based records management system
• Vehicles: replacements for aging student transport vans and technology vehicles
• Facilities: $100,000 a year for three years for custodial equipment, plus furniture

The plan totals $4.4 million in 2026-27 and $3.1 million in 2027-28, or about $8.8 million overall.

The other side: No one opposed the plan. One board member called it very detailed but regretted that the state sent one-time money rather than ongoing funding. Board President Dudek asked whether some of the money could go into the district's 3% reserve. Staff said some one-time money can end up in reserves.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The item was informational, and no vote was taken. Teachers would get new math materials, training and laptops. Students would benefit from the curriculum and replacement transport vans. Custodial and operations staff would get new equipment. The laptop and custodial lines run for several years, so they will shape future budget decisions.

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Title I Schools Get a Dedicated Clerical Aide Role

The basics: Title I is federal funding for schools that serve high shares of low-income students. It comes with program monitoring audits.

Why it matters: Six Brentwood schools receive Title I funds. Staff said a separate job description helps those schools pass federal audits. It also keeps layoffs tied to Title I funding, so other clerical staff are not bumped if a school loses its Title I status.

Where things stand: HR staff described the position:

• It reports to the principal.
• It supports family engagement and Title I program duties.
• Pay matches the existing clerical aide rate.
• Staff represented by CSEA and the Teamsters agreed to the proposal.
• A half-time position with benefits costs about $37,000.
• Each school decides whether to fund it; none is required to.

Staff pointed to Guerin Elementary's return to Title I to show how a school's status can change and why layoff seniority rules matter.

The other side: A board member asked whether these duties were already being done. Staff said current support is general rather than Title I-specific, and principals sometimes do the monitoring work themselves. The new role would not take work away from school secretaries.

Board President Dudek noted the risk built into federally funded jobs: "So it could be subject to layoff at the end of the program."

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The board approved the job description. For: 4, Against: 0, Absent: 1. Principals at Title I schools gain a hiring option that holds up in audits. Classified employees gain clearer layoff protections. The trade-off is that whoever fills the role depends on federal funding continuing.

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Minor Items

• Prop 28 arts report approved, 4-0: The money funds theater arts at every elementary school and a middle school orchestra. "We implemented it right from the beginning," said Superintendent Eaton.
• Measure B oversight committee filled, 4-0: Two returning members and new appointee Jessica Stonebarger join the committee that oversees the 2016 bond.
• Closed session: The board approved a student settlement and three student reinstatements, 4-0. One reinstatement depends on a plan from the student services director.
• Superintendent's report: Brentwood teacher Rebecca St. Michel was named Contra Costa County Teacher of the Year. Adams Middle School launched CPR training with East Bay Regional Park District.
• Holiday program turns 50: Lil Pierce, public commenter, said the program served 435 families last year, including 120 seniors. "We provide the food and the gifts for all the families who otherwise wouldn't have a nice Christmas dinner," she said.

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Looking Ahead

Three board policies and bylaws received a first reading, including a new policy responding to a new state financial law; final action is expected at the next regular meeting. The board holds a special meeting with principals on Nov. 4, and its regular meeting is Nov. 18.