School board extends superintendent's contract four years

DOWNEY - The Downey Unified School District Board of Education agreed to extend the employment contract of Superintendent Dr. John Garcia at their meeting Tuesday.

The new contract runs from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2028. Garcia will be paid an annual salary of $357,936.

Garcia called Downey Unified his “hometown district.”

“When I was afforded the opportunity to be the superintendent here in 2013, it was my dream job, and it’s been my dream job for the last 11 plus years,” said Garcia. “Every day that I continue to be in this position and get the honor to be in this position, it continues to be my dream job.”

Garcia said that the district would “continue to challenge ourselves to meet what the Board of Education expects from us with their board goals.”

“Every year they lay out goals for us and they challenge us to be better for our students today, and this year than we were last year,” said Garcia.

The Board also extended the contracts of Deputy Superintendent Dr. Roger Brossmer, Associate Superintendent Dr. Robert H. McEntire, and Assistant Superintendents Dr. Alyda R. Mir and Dr. Wayne Shannon for a period of three years, effective through June 30, 2027.

McEntire, Mir, and Shannon will all be paid annual salaries of $286,349. Brossmer will receive $297,087.

All five contracts were approved on 6-0 votes. Board Member D. Mark Morris had to leave the meeting early and did not participate in either decision.

Garcia has served as superintendent for over 11 years. He graduated from Downey High School in 1985, going on to earn a B.S. in Criminal Justice (minor in U.S./Legal History) from Cal State Long Beach in 1992, an elementary Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential with a supplement in Bilingual (Spanish) Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development (BCLAD) from Cal State Dominguez Hills in 1994, and an M.S. in Educational Leadership in 1997 from Cal State Fullerton, and an Executive MBA also from Claremont in 2004. He earned his PhD in educational leadership from Claremont University in 2002.

Garcia came to Downey Unified in April 2013, taking over after the retirement of Dr. Wendy Doty.