Schools Chief Still in Critical Condition
Peter Hartman, superintendent of the Saddleback Valley Unified School District, remained in critical condition Wednesday, more than a week after undergoing emergency surgery to remove a kidney.
Hartman, 63, checked into Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo for routine testing a few days before Christmas, Assistant Supt. Bill Manahan said.
A hospital spokeswoman declined to give information about Hartman’s condition or treatment, citing a request for privacy from his family.
Hartman’s mother died in Florida about the time Hartman underwent surgery, district officials said.
“It’s the personal part of him and the relationships he’s fostered that make this hard to watch,” school board member Don Sedgwick said. “We’re pulling for him, not only as a great leader and superintendent, but also because he’s become a close friend.”
In November, Hartman and James A. Fleming, superintendent of the neighboring Capistrano Unified School District, jointly received the state Superintendent of the Year award.
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