Le Grand Union High School District Board of Trustees names Matthew Roberts as new superintendent

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

LE GRAND — After a search that played out in May, August, and September, the Le Grand Union High School District (LGUHSD) Board of Trustees announced Friday that it has chosen Matthew Roberts, Ed.D., current Senior Advisor with the California Collaborative on Educational Excellence (CCEE), as its new superintendent.

Roberts is set to be approved by the board at its regular meeting on November 20th. His first day leading the district will be November 21st.

“Collaboration is key to success in education,” said Roberts, a Fresno native and College of Notre Dame (BA) and Northeastern University (MA) graduate. “As superintendent, I will prioritize open communication and collective efforts to ensure our students excel and our community flourishes. I’m committed to fostering connections that empower our students and enrich our neighborhoods."

Roberts, who earned his doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of the Pacific, has 13 years of experience as a superintendent in small districts, three with Galt Joint Union High School District in the Lodi area and 10 prior to that with the East Nicolaus Joint Union High School District north of Sacramento.

During the past four years with the CCEE, Roberts has guided administrators, county offices of education and local education agencies (LEA) on how best to reach their Local Control Accountability Plan goals. The Collaborative was established by the California State Legislature and the Governor to help schools better meet the needs of historically underserved students.

With the California Community Colleges Office of the Chancellor from 2015-2020, Roberts also served as Dean of Field Operations in the Workforce and Economic Development Division to spearhead the rollout of the state’s K-12 Strong Workforce Program.

The program connected CTE pathways between secondary and postsecondary schools and remains the major source of funding for CTE initiatives for public schools statewide. That is important work for LGUHSD, which recently invested $6 million in bonds to add medical academy and ag CTE buildings to its campus.

The district, which includes Le Grand High and Granada High, has a history of welcoming superintendents who stay for long tenures. Roberts becomes just the sixth superintendent to serve the district dating back to the post-World War II era.

“The Board chose Dr. Roberts because he has extensive high level administrative and school-site experience, as well as impressive accomplishments in arenas we want to attack moving forward,” LGUHSD Board of Trustees president Lupe Rubalcava, Jr. said. “This community is proud of the quality education and co-curricular experience our students currently receive, so we have worked hard to hire a person best suited to safeguard that. Because he has a track record for crafting innovative solutions to challenges and creating structures to support them, he is also primed to push us to new heights. We are excited to tackle this transition with him and we welcome Dr. Roberts with clear eyes looking to the future.”

Roberts replaces Donna Alley, who is retiring next month after 20 years of service to the district, the past 15 as superintendent.

Roberts has big shoes to fill. Alley did yeoman’s work when she first arrived, lifting Le Grand High School out of academic probation and onto unprecedented, sustained academic success. LGHS, which also saw a complete transformation of its physical campus during Alley’s stewardship, has been the top-ranked high school in Merced County, according to U.S. News & World Report, for 10 of the last 12 years and the past eight years running.

Rubalcava said the LGUHSD board would also like to thank Dr. Sally Frazier and Leadership Associates for their efficient and competent work while directing the search.

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