PLEASANTON — The Pleasanton Unified School Board will hire Maurice Ghysels to be the new permanent superintendent, a job he’s been filling temporarily for the last year.
Ghysels, an alumnus of Pleasanton schools, previously served between 2005 and 2010 as superintendent for the Mountain View Whisman School District until he revealed he had a romantic relationship with another principal and abruptly left his post. He worked as superintendent for the Menlo Park City School District in 2011 and then served as an administrator for the Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto.
Last year, he became PUSD’s interim superintendent, replacing David Haglund, who took the job after the school board fired his predecessor, Rick Rubino, over allegations of sexual harassment.
Board President Justin Brown said in a statement that Ghysels “has proven himself as the right leader for PUSD.” Ghysels “exemplifies the full range of qualities” the district searched for, and “is well-positioned to guide the district forward with confidence and continuity.”
In his new job, Ghysels will inherit a shaky budget, with the school board last month making $5 million in cuts and approving a dozen layoffs. PUSD has been experiencing declining enrollment and growing expenses.
The board on Thursday is expected to approve Ghysel’s new permanent contract, which states he will be paid an annual salary of $345,000 plus benefits. Since last October, the district has paid Ghysels $1,500 per workday, according to his temporary contract.
Ghysels holds a doctorate degree in education from the University of San Francisco. He got his start in education as a teacher at Pleasanton’s Amador Valley High School, and has held other educational positions at the Campbell Union School District, Loyola Marymount University, Pepperdine University and the Santa Clara County Office of Education.
“PUSD is facing a qualified, multi-year budget, with razor thin reserves – which means we can’t meet our financial obligations over the next three years. We need to focus on more right-sizing that is centered on student needs,” Ghysels wrote in a July 2024 statement as interim superintendent. “It’s truly an honor to come full circle and return, and I want to lead in a manner that sets us up for a superb permanent superintendent who we all deserve.”