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Benicia board appoints Chris Calabresi as superintendent, approves employment agreement
Summary
The Benicia Unified School District board voted to hire Chris Calabresi as superintendent effective Sept. 17, 2025, and approved his employment agreement during the Sept. 4 meeting after a public discussion and a brief presentation by Calabresi.
The Benicia Unified School District Board of Education voted Sept. 4 to appoint Chris Calabresi as the district's superintendent, with the appointment effective Sept. 17, 2025, and approved his employment agreement under Government Code section 53262. The vote followed board discussion, public remarks and a presentation by Calabresi.
The board president moved the motion to appoint Calabresi; a second was made and the board approved the appointment by voice vote. The board then voted to approve the superintendent's employment agreement, with the maker of that motion citing Government Code section 53262 during the meeting.
Calabresi, who visited Brentwood Unified as part of the district's validation process, addressed the board and community before the vote. "We put children first," Calabresi said, adding that he planned listening tours and meetings with staff, students and families: "The intent of that ... is to listen first. Listen to the board, the students, the staff, families, site leaders, and community partners." He also thanked interim Superintendent Janice Adams and the visitation team for their participation.
Interim Superintendent Janice Adams and board members took part in the public introduction and discussion. President Grubbs and trustees signaled unanimous support during the roll call and voice votes recorded at the meeting. Following approval, the board presented Calabresi with a name plate, name tag and pin.
The district did not present additional contract financial details in the public discussion beyond citing the applicable Government Code section during the motion. The board indicated it will proceed with the planned transition and Calabresi described a 100-day outreach plan of listening sessions, focus groups and school visits to begin after his start date.
No formal motions to amend the employment agreement were presented during the meeting, and no votes against or abstentions were recorded on the public record.
The board's next regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 18, 2025.
Less-critical details from the meeting: trustees and staff expressed public thanks to outgoing interim leadership; Calabresi introduced family members in attendance and said several community outreach events will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
