Former Pioneer Valley High Principal Shanda Herrera reassigned by School District
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Following a closed session Tuesday evening, the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District decided to reassign Shanda Herrera from her position as Principal of Pioneer Valley High and keep acting-Principal Dr. Paul Robinson on for the remainder of the school year.
According to the school district, the process of finding a new Pioneer Valley High Principal for the 2025-2026 school year will begin immediately and Herrera remains on leave.
In June of 2024, community members and students gathered to protest a disciplinary 45-day notice issued to then-Pioneer Valley High's Principal Shanda Herrera who had held the position for over a decade.
Ultimately Herrera kept her job, but what the 45-day disciplinary notice said became the subject of multiple requests under the California Public Records Act by local media outlets.
In response, an attorney on behalf of Herrera filed a petition against the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District and every single media outlet that made the request, including Your News Channel.
According to Kristi Rothschild, Herrera's attorney who filed the petition, while the California Public Records Act offers a statutory procedure to resolve disputes between groups seeking disclosure (such as a news station) and a government agency (like a school district), "no comparable procedure exists for an interested third party to obtain a judicial ruling precluding a public agency from improperly disclosing confidential documents."
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District noted at the time that Herrera had already, "impacted the confidentiality of such records by providing staff and community members with selected and misinformation about the contents of the 45-day notice" in their decision to release the letter when complying with the state records request law.
Herrera's attorney further argued in the petition that the requested letter does not contain, "allegations of sexual-type conduct, threats of violence, or violence" which is an evaluation used in a previous case where records about a school employee were sought by a newspaper (Bakersfield City School District v. Superior Court, 2004).
The court system ruled in favor of the newspaper's access to the disciplinary files in that 2004 case as well as on behalf of local media outlets seeking disclosure in this case.
"In response to the public records request, the Court denied Ms. Herrera’s application for a protective order to prevent the release of the 45-Day Notice of Unprofessional Conduct and its attachments and ordered the release of the requested documents with certain redactions," stated Santa Maria Joint Union High School Public Information Officer Kenny Klein. "It’s unfortunate we reached this point because personnel records are almost always confidential."
According to the 45-Day Notice, Herrera was cited for unprofessional conduct for emails and texts with District staff where she informed the school district she would not accept certain students - specifically English Learners (EL) and Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP)- to protect the graduation rate at Pioneer Valley High, the highest of any school in the district at the time.
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District's disciplinary letter also included a text message sent to the District phone number of a District employee (Attachment 3 of the 45-Day Notice) where Herrera wrote, "Things have changed a lot. [Redacted Name] ready to retire [Redacted Name] a speddie [Redacted Name] is full of himself [Redacted Name] doesn't know which way is up ... I can quit this F'Ed up organization that used to be my home".
In September of 2024, Herrera was placed on paid administrative leave and her future with the district was subject to the results of an independent investigation.
"The Board found itself in a very difficult position in this matter but engaged in a comprehensive and unbiased investigation utilizing an outside investigator. Throughout this process, every effort was made to ensure fairness, thoroughness, and integrity. Over 30 witnesses were interviewed and the investigator reviewed extensive documentary evidence," stated a press release from the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Thursday. "The Board does not take personnel decisions lightly, is required to maintain confidentiality, and respect the process. We understand the impact these decisions can have. However, as a district, our focus must remain on students. Moving forward, we will continue to create tangible support for principals, teachers, and staff – especially those working directly with students requiring specialized services. We urge our school community to come together in the spirit of collaboration centered on the shared mission of ensuring that every student receives the education and support they deserve."
