Superintendent Dr. Tom Bennett talks about his first weeks in office; board votes to join PG&E Fleet Electrification Program

ATASCADERO — The Atascadero Unified School District Board of Trustees held its first meeting of the 2025-26 school year on Tuesday, Aug. 5, which was also the first regular meeting presided over by the new AUSD Superintendent Dr. Tom Bennett. Board Member Rebecca Koznek was absent for the meeting.

Bennett had been announced as the news superintendent on April 1. At the time he was the interim superintendent of the Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union Elementary School District in Lake Hughes in Los Angeles County, and before that, had spent several years as an educator and administrator in San Diego County. He took over the position as AUSD superintendent on July 1, taking over for the retiring Superintendent Tom Butler.

Bennett will begin his term with AUSD on July 1. He is on a three-year contract (until June 30, 2028) with a base annual salary of $233,188.

In his first Superintendent’s Report, Bennett noted that he was on his 25th day in the job and had appreciated the reception he’s gotten from the district staff and the community it serves.

“Thank you to the entire community for the warm welcome; it’s overwhelming,” he said. “I think this amplifies what a very special community we have here.”

Bennett then went on to recount his observations and experiences with his new co-workers during his first month. He mentioned the first board retreat on July 8, where he said he and the board members built strong relationships and created a board governance handbook in a “great five-hour meeting,” and a three-day retreat the previous week with principals and other leaders from AUSD and the “amazing conversations” they had.

He also met with the students and parents and staff of Carissa Plains Elementary School, who have been frequent visitors to the board meetings in their effort to return their remote campus back into a K-8 school.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to listen to their thoughts and concerns,” he said. “We had a great group of families there who expressed their need for support. My team is exploring our options, see what’s possible and thinking outside the box to see how we can help them.”

Later, the trustees heard several business items, chief among them was the approval of the district to participate in the PG&E EV Fleet Electrification Program, meant to encourage school districts to incorporate electric vehicles into their fleets of buses and other modes of transportation.

The district was deemed eligible to participate in the Make-Ready Incentive Option of
this program wherein PG&E will design, construct, own, and maintain any necessary EV supply
infrastructure to the meter. The district will utilize grant funding and/or rebates to install the electrical vehicle supply infrastructure beyond the meter, charging stations, necessary software, and to purchase seven buses as required in the EV Fleet Program terms and conditions.

AUSD Assistant Director of Transportation James Duren addressed the board on the item, and started it off by outlining the current condition of the district’s fleet. He said AUSD currently had 24 buses (15 large, nine small) in its fleet, and that 14 of those were 25 years or older, with eight being at least 10 years old, and only two less than 10 years old.

“It’s taxing on our budget in addition to our ability to transport the kids,” he said.

Duren was asked about cost and how they would pay for it. He said the district currently has grant money fo for electrical vehicles up to $3,000,630, enough for seven buses; and $451,212 toward infrastructure, all mainline items.

“This would put us about $70,000 short, but rebates under the PG&E could cover,” he said. “It’ll cost at beginning, but rebates will pay it back.” He added that the process for getting a bus would probably take about a year, and the rebate money would come back to the district in about two years.

One board member asked Duren if the goal was to eventually have the whole fleet go electric, but he said he preferred to have a mixed fleet.

“We can’t go completely to EV,” he said. “I worry about current range of those vehicles for longer trips.”

Ultimately, the board voted 4-2 to participate in the program, with Corrine Kunhle and Joey Arnold voting no, and Jodi Taylor casting the deciding “yes” vote with some hesitation.

In other business items the board:

Approved changes in the district salary schedule

Approved the Agricultural Career Technical Education Incentive Grant 2025-26 Application for funding to allow Atascadero High ag teachers to apply for funds for their educational programs

Adopted a Adopting a Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, a requirement for the district in order to get funding if there is a disaster or emergency

Passed two items to register new documents with the State Allocation Board, naming Bennett as the new superintendent and giving him authorization to sign applications and related documents on behalf of the district.

The Board of Trustee will meet next on Thursday, Aug. 19, with closed session starting at 5:30 p.m. and open session at 7 p.m.