The Alum Rock Union School District confirmed to NBC Bay Area Friday that the board of trustees voted to terminate the contract of Superintendent Dr. Hilaria Bauer.
The news comes a day after the board voted against her proposal to shut down the middle school at Aptitud Community Academy At Goss.
Reached by text, Bauer declined to comment.
Bauer led the school district through some tumultuous times, mainly dealing with the pandemic in a district with some of the highest rates of infections and least amount of resources.
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"I feel she did a good job," parent Paulina Hernandez said.
District trustees on Thursday night surprised many by voting 3-2 to terminate Bauer's contract.
"When it's a sudden decision like this, for me personally, it's tough," Alum Rock Union School District Board President Corina Herrera Loera said.
Loera said she was among those caught off guard by the decision, which was made the same night the board voted against Bauer's recommendation to close the middle school at Aptitude Community Academy at Goss.
No reason was given for the termination, only that Bauer will be given 10 days of leave.
The decision has left some parents concerned and confused.
"It's sad," Hernandez said. "It's sad to someone that did their part for the district, students, everybody. And for her to go is kind of sad because now who are we going to get?"
The Alum Rock Educators Association released the following statement:
"Over the past 10 years Dr. Bauer has served the Alum Rock community. In the last few years the teachers and the district office partnership has wavered. This is quite a surprise and Alum Rock Educators Association is taken aback by the timing of this board decision. There have been signs that the district needed a fresh new start and AREA believes the board has taken action to help Alum Rock move forward and help the teachers, students and community move into the next stage of our journey.
AREA is looking forward to a fresh new start with administration that is supportive of educators and students by providing the resources and support that our community needs."
Meanwhile, Loera is trying to put concerned parents and students at ease.
"They can be assured that our district will continue to run as is," Loera said. "We have amazing staff and teachers and administrators, and the schools will continue to run as they have been."
A nationwide search will soon get underway for Bauer's replacement. The new superintendent will face some immediate challenges, including a dramatic decline in student enrollment and a $20 million budget deficit next school year -- red ink that could mean the future closure of as many as half a dozen schools.
