by Steven Felschundneff | steven@claremont-courier.com

Claremont Unified School District Superintendent Jim Elsasser has accepted a position as superintendent of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, according to a news release from the PYLUSD.

Mr. Elsasser’s first day at his new job is scheduled for January 4, 2021, pending final approval of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified Board of Education on November 10.

“As we diligently searched for our next leader, Dr. Elsasser‘s unrivaled track record and stellar communication skills made it clear to the board that he is the right person to ensure Placentia-Yorba Linda continues to flourish,” PYLUSD Board President Eric Padget said in a statement.

Mr. Elsasser’s career spans three decades as a middle school teacher and principal, director, and assistant superintendent of human resources. He has served as the CUSD superintendent for nine years. In 2017 Mr. Elsasser was named Region 15 Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators.

“As you might guess, it is with mixed emotions that I made this decision. While I will deeply miss the CUSD and the entire Claremont community, I leave with enormous pride in our shared accomplishments of the past 8-1/2 years. I have been blessed to have had the opportunity to serve with an outstanding staff and tremendous community support. When I arrived in Claremont, we were just coming out of the Great Recession and I had the opportunity to be part of the restoration of numerous programs as well as the implementation of many new programs,” Mr. Elsasser said in an update sent to CUSD parents and guardians on Friday.

Mr. Elsasser told the COURIER that while it is difficult to leave CUSD, the new appointment will be much closer to his home in Anaheim Hills. It will also be a big change in the level of responsibility, as he will be going from 10 schools and 6,800 students to 34 schools with over 25,000 students.

A full account of Mr. Elsasser’s tenure in Claremont will appear in our next edition.