Former St. Helena school district head appointed next schools superintendent for Vallejo

VALLEJO — Former St. Helena Unified School District Superintendent Rubén Aurelio has been hired as the new superintendent of the Vallejo City Unified School District, the district announced on Wednesday.

Aurelio’s hiring will be effective July 1 and he will succeed Superintendent William Spalding, who is retiring at the end of this school year, the district said in a press release. He  was unanimously chosen during a special closed session of the Board of Education on March 16 and his appointment was confirmed this week.

Aurelio previously served in various capacities across nearby districts. For the last two years, he was superintendent of St. Helena Unified, an affluent and high performing but much smaller district in Napa County of 1,199 students, according to his LinkedIn profile.  There are about 10,000 students in the Vallejo school district.

Prior to that, he was chief academic officer at Berkeley Unified for a year, worked for three years in West Contra Costa Unified, including as associate superintendent, and worked for 11 years in San Leandro Unified.

“One aspect of VCUSD that drew my attention was the commitment to equitable outcomes for all students,” Aurelio said in a statement. “I’ve spent the majority of my career fighting for equitable outcomes. Vallejo feels like home.”

Aurelio will take over a district facing significant challenges, including reductions in the district’s funding, which is tied to enrollment and daily student attendance. Student enrollment numbers have been declining in Vallejo for decades and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the district’s problems with chronic absenteeism. 

Vallejo school board President Latyna Young said in a statement that she thinks Aurielo will help create opportunities for Vallejo students.

 “We are very pleased with the selection of Mr. Aurelio to be our next superintendent,” she said. “His background in nearby urban school districts and his proven commitment to equity will make him not just an asset to VCUSD, but an asset to the community of Vallejo.”

Aurelio’s parents were immigrants from Argentina living in Los Angeles and he grew up in a solely Spanish-speaking household, according to the district. He was the first from his family to graduate from college and earned a Master’s degree from California State University, East Bay.