Vicki King will resign from the Solana Beach School District Board next month after 17 years of serving the community; her last official board meeting will be on Nov 8.
King said it was a difficult decision to step away, however, she is excited to pursue a new position as a consultant in education, with an opportunity to make an impact on students not just locally but throughout the state and the country.
“It has been an honor of a lifetime to work with this dedicated, student-focused board and serve the students, staff, families and community of Solana Beach School District for so many years,” King said in a news release. “My family and I moved to Carmel Valley to become part of the SBSD and I am proud of the work we have accomplished together, and the work that will continue on behalf of SBSD students. I look forward to attending events and continuing to support SBSD schools as a community member.”
King, who is an attorney, small-business owner and executive coach and consultant, was first elected to the board in 2006. Last fall, she ran unopposed for her fifth term in Area 3, which includes portions of Carmel Valley and Rancho Santa Fe.
Moving to the community for the schools, her children attended Carmel Creek and Solana Pacific where she took on leadership roles on the PTA and site council. Wanting to impact students at the district level, she decided to run for the school board: “I saw the district’s vision and I wanted to be a part of it.”
Serving on the board has been something she has enjoyed so much: “It’s been a tremendous experience.”
She was part of the building of Solana Ranch, Skyline and Solana Vista schools, as well as the difficult decision not to build the district’s eighth school in Pacific Highlands Ranch. Looking back she said it is proving to be the right decision and she is proud of the way that the board and district ensured that the community felt heard in the process and ultimately supported the district as it moved forward.
During her tenure, King worked with four superintendents and was involved in hiring three of them. She served as the board’s president through the pandemic, which she said was a lot of work, dealing with making tough decisions and facing challenges with divisiveness in the community.
“In the end, it just brought us together and made us stronger,” King said. “I’m proud of the work we did as an entire district.”
As a board member, King said she is grateful for the experience of being part of such a “high performing, high functioning” team, from the board to the superintendent and leadership cabinet to the principals, teachers and every single staff member whom she truly believes are there to do what’s best for students.
“It has truly been my honor and privilege to work alongside Member King as part of SBSD’s governance team,” said Superintendent Jodee Brentlinger in the news release. “Her legacy will continue through the dedication she has shown to the SBSD community throughout her tenure.” Brentlinger recently announced she is retiring in January.
King will file her resignation with the San Diego County Office of Education effective Nov. 15. When a vacancy occurs, the board is required to fill the vacancy within 60 days, which in this case is by Jan. 13.
At a special board meeting Sept. 28, the board voted to go with the provisional appointment process to fill the vacancy, rather than take on the cost of a special election. Neighboring San Dieguito’s 2021 special election for Area 5 cost $187,428.
Solana Beach previously used the appointment process in March 2020 to appoint Dana King, now the board’s vice president.
The district is now accepting potential candidates and applications are due back by noon Nov. 1. The board plans to interview candidates in public on Nov. 9, with a swearing-in held the following month on Dec. 14.
Much like the Del Mar Union School District’s provisional appointment earlier this year, due to the length remaining in King’s term, the new trustee will serve until the next regularly scheduled general election in 2024. At that time, the appointed member could choose to run for a shortened two-year term through 2026.
For more information about the appointment process and timeline, including the application packet on the Solana Beach School District website, visit sbsd.k12.ca.us.
