Irvine District Picks San Marino Schools Chief as Superintendent

The Irvine Unified School District board on Wednesday announced the appointment of David E. Brown as superintendent and welcomed him to the district.

Brown, 46, is superintendent of San Marino Unified School District in Los Angeles County. He will assume his new job Nov. 1, succeeding A. Stanley Corey, who retired in June after 14 years in that position.

At district headquarters Wednesday morning, school board members introduced Brown, and students presented him with balloons.

Brown received applause when he summarized his goals: “I think a superintendent has responsibility . . . in four primary needs, and they are: a positive image, labor peace, good test scores and winning athletics.”

Helen Cameron, school board president, said the board unanimously selected Brown after a nationwide search.

“He can share authority, but he doesn’t hesitate to confront tough issues,” she said.

Brown said the San Marino district has been declining in student enrollment while Irvine has been increasing.

Cites Affluence in Districts

“Both situations cause problems,” he said. “But I think it’s slightly easier to have increasing enrollment, where you don’t have to close schools.”

Both San Marino and Irvine have high proportions of affluent families. Brown said such districts have unusually large percentages of students who complete college.

A native of Lennox, in Los Angeles County, Brown holds a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College in Los Angeles and a master’s degree and Ph.D from USC. He has been superintendent of San Marino Unified for seven years. Brown previously was a high school principal and cross-country coach.

Cameron said Brown’s starting salary will be $75,000 a year, with a three-year contract.

Brown and his wife Ilse, have five children ages 9 to 18 and live in San Dimas. A runner since his days on the Occidental College track and field team, Brown says he still runs, “but not competitively.”

While he is not required to move to Orange County, Brown said he might. “After making a few trips from San Dimas to Irvine on the freeway, I’ve decided that I’ve got to think about moving,” he said. “That freeway traffic is terrible.”