Not long ago, the Claremont Unified School District, besieged by a remarkable amount of turnover in its leadership, experienced some pretty rough waters.

As residents will recall, from 2006 to 2012, CUSD saw a total of 3 superintendents, plus one interim superintendent, come and go. Now CUSD’s rudderless state seems to be a thing of the past. At their Thursday, June 6 meeting, the school board voted to approve a 3-year contract for Superintendent Jim Elsasser, who was hired on to helm the district in June of 2012.

After Mr. Elsasser passed his mid-year and end-of-year reviews with flying colors, he has been offered a 3.5 percent salary increase as stipulated by his initial contract. Mr. Elsasser has served as a district administrator before, as assistant superintendent of human resources for the Anaheim City School District and, before that, as director of classified personnel and special projects for the Los Alamitos School District. Prior to joining Los Alamitos, Mr. Elsasser was a teacher, assistant principal and principal in the Downey Unified School District.

Mr. Elsasser has made a good impression on many administrators and staffers in the CUSD as well as among district personnel for being personable and approachable. Claremont High School Principal Brett O’Conner is among these.

“He has been at the school site regularly visiting classrooms,” Mr. O’Connor noted. “He has been very supportive throughout this first year, meeting any needs I may have or the school may have. And I think he’s done a good job really listening and watching to learn about he culture of Claremont High School.”

For a full report on the Thursday, June 6 board of education meeting, see the Friday, June 14 edition of the COURIER.

—Sarah Torribio

storribio@claremont-courier.com