Newport-Mesa school district rethinks leadership structure

The departure in December of Assistant Supt. Chuck Hinman, who headed middle and high school education in Newport-Mesa schools, is being used by the district as an opportunity to review whether students are best served by the current administrative setup.

Elementary education is run separately from middle and high school instruction in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. Hinman oversaw secondary education, while Susan Astarita heads instruction for kindergarten through sixth grade.

In an email to staff Jan. 5, Supt. Fred Navarro said the district would hold off seeking a replacement for Hinman, who left Dec. 30 to be the superintendent of the West Covina Unified School District.

“I believe it is a good time to review the needs of the district and ask if our current structure is the most effective and efficient in supporting the work done in our schools,” Navarro said in the email.

“Over the coming weeks I will be meeting with principals and directors to explore possible alternatives to our present system.In the meantime, we will operate with the vacancy in place and ask others to carry an extended load of work while we process and consider all options.”

In recent years, the district has upped the focus on collaboration between elementary and high schools. Elementary school principals regularly tour high schools, and teachers share best practices through an ongoing effort called “learning walks.”

Leaving the opening unfilled will save the district some money. Hinman’s total compensation — salary and benefits — as assistant superintendent was $246,572 in 2013, according to data compiled by the California Policy Center, a Tustin-based, nonpartisan think tank.