Richardson leaving TUHS for Santa Maria

Taft Union High School Superintendent Dr. Mark Richardson has been hired to head the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District.

Reports of Richardson's hiring appeared in central coast media early Wednesday evening.

Shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday, TUHS Governing Board member Stan Barrett told The Taft Midway Driller that he had been told by Board President George Harmer that Richardson was leaving.

Richardson is expected to take over the Santa Maria district next month.

The Santa Maria district is expected to offer Richardson a contract on Sept. 12 and hopes to have him start work the next day, Santamariatimes.com reported.

Richardson came to Taft in 2008 as principal and superintendent after 19 years with the Kern High School District.

He was principal at Foothill High School in Bakersfield when he was hired here after Curt Dubost resigned.

Richardson was the choice from a field of 20 to 25 applicants to head the Santa Maria district and was selected late Wednesday afternoon after an all-day interview session with trustees, Santamariatimes.com reported.

The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District has three comprehensive school campuses and one continuation school with about 7,600 students. At Taft, Richardson supervised one comprehensive campus and one continuation campus with about 1,000 students.