Controversial Santa Barbara Unified School District Superintendent Hilda Maldonado announced in an email today that she plans to resign from her position at the end of the school year.
Her last day will be June 30, 2027.
“Leading this district for the past six-plus years has been more than a professional journey,” Maldonado said in an email to staff, obtained by the News-Press. “It has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”
Maldonado has faced massive public scrutiny almost since the day she was hired during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
During her time as superintendent, dozens of cabinet members and staffers fled the organization, taking other jobs or early retirement. Teachers and employees heavily criticized Maldonado in 2021 for her leadership efforts in a survey. The dissatisfaction with her performance prompted the district to hire an executive coach for $13,000 to help her with leadership.
Over the past six years, teachers have rallied and protested against Maldonado and the superintendent. Students from all three public high schools have walked out in defense of teachers and in opposition to Maldonado.
Maldonado prepares her exit as change appears likely on the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of education. None of the board members who hired her remain on the board, one of her biggest allies, Gabe Escobedo, is not running for re-election because he is running for Santa Barbara City Council.
The board election of Celeste Kafri and Sunita Beall two years ago brought more scrutiny of Maldonado, and two more positions are up this November. At least one candidate, Valerie Amparan has expressed concerns publicly about Maldonado’s leadership.
She added, “Now it is the time for me to turn my focus on preparing future leaders. I look forward to spending time with my family and friends and giving them the same devotion and care that I have given to public education over the past 36 years.”
Maldonado jumped from the Los Angeles Unified School District to Santa Barbara.
The Santa Barbara Teachers Association conducted a “Superintendent and District Perception Survey” in 2022. About 315 responded to the survey. Of the total, 60% of teachers and certificated staff who responded to the survey said they strongly disagree that Maldonado builds quality relationships with staff, parents and community members.
In addition, another 22% of respondents said they disagree.
About 57% of respondents said they strongly disagree with the statement that Maldonado demonstrates empathy, genuine listening, and is able to manage conflict.
In 2025, the school district board was considering cutting arts teachers, which prompted a deluge of students, teachers, and parents to flood the Santa Barbara Unified School District board room.
Students stayed until 2:30 a.m. to protest art teacher layoffs, an act that forced the board to eventually back down.
In one of the most memorable moments in recent school board memory, Maldonado in 2025 invited theater students from Santa Barbara High School to perform a song for their upcoming “Hadestown” production.
The students gathered at the front of the room, with a backing track, ready to perform “The Wedding Song.” Instead, they remained silent and sang no words.
A student held up a sign in that moment that said “If you defund the arts, there won’t be any.”
Maldonado has said that all organizations go through change when there is a new leader. She in the past has said that the fact that she is a strong Latina leader may offend some people. She also points to rising test scores as a symbol of her effectiveness as a leader.
At a recent Santa Barbara Unified School Board meeting, several people spoke to criticized Maldonado and the district for not doing enough to combat anti-Blackness, after a TikTok video was posted by four San Marcos High School students in “blackface.”
“Unfortunately, nothing is going to change under Hilda,” said York Shingle, president of the Santa Barbara Teachers Association. “We know her.”
Shingle said she would invite some student leaders to a meeting, talk to them, and not do anything for months.
“The classic Hilda move of isolate, placate and manipulate, without any actual changes,” Shingle said. “This is going to be the case until we get a new leader, who is actually strong enough to make changes in this district.”
Check back to the News-Press for updates on this report. Below is an extended interview with Maldonado on Santa Barbara Talks with Josh Molina about her controversies.
