Tom Butler is new superintendent of Atascadero schools
Atascadero Unified School District’s newest superintendent, Tom Butler.
– Tom Butler will take over as Atascadero Unified School District’s new superintendent on July 1. He follows Dr. Deborah Bowers, who is retiring June 30 after 36 years in the education field.
“It has a great reputation,” Butler said about the district. “I think the family feel in the community-based approach is something I enjoy. Clearly, there is a lot of evidence of the bond with the community that has allowed [the district] to grow.”
Butler is currently the assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment for Lucia Mar Unified School District. When he started school at Long Beach State, after graduating high school in Long Beach, he thought he’d try teaching and see how he liked it. At the time, his grandfather worked for Long Beach Police Department and his father for Long Beach Fire Department.
“I ended up loving it,” Butler said.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in anthropology and liberal studies. His first job was teaching English and social studies at a middle school for Long Beach Unified.
Butler’s educational history:
- Long Beach Unified: Middle school teacher for two years
- San Luis Coastal: Los Ranchos Elementary School teacher for eight years
- Lucia Mar Unified: Paulding Middle School assistant principal for two years
- Lucia Mar Unified: Branch Elementary School principal for one year
- Lucia Mar Unified: Oceano Elementary principal for five years
- Lucia Mar Unified: Paulding Middle School principal for two years
- Lucia Mar Unified: Arroyo Grande High School principal for two years
- Lucia Mar Unified: Assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment for three years
“Now, I’m in Atascadero and I couldn’t be happier,” Butler said. “Lucia Mar gave me some great opportunities.”
Though Butler does not officially begin his role as superintendent until July 1, he was part of the hiring process for the positions of assistant superintendent of human resources and assistant superintendent of educational services. Because Atascadero High School Principal E.J. Rossi was selected as assistant superintendent of educational services, it was then necessary to hire a new principal for the school. Bill Neely, an Atascadero High School teacher, will step into that roll and Curt Eichperger, who is currently coordinator of student safety and support in the Lucia Mar district, will be the next assistant superintendent of human resources.
“Our school board wanted him involved in building his team,” Rossi said.
Butler currently lives in Grover Beach and intends to remain there for the time being. His wife, Sarah Butler, is principal of Oceanview Elementary School in the Lucia Mar district, and their younger two children – they have six between the two of them – will be a freshman and a senior at Arroyo Grande High School this fall.
“It’s going to make for some interesting rivalry games,” Butler said.
