Acting superintendent Heath Rocha outlines reforms as parents and staff urge board to appoint him permanently

Heath Rocha, the acting superintendent for the Los Gatos‑Saratoga Union High School District, used a special public meeting to summarize nine years of district work and his priorities if appointed permanent superintendent, and dozens of parents, staff and former board members offered public comment in strong support.

Rocha opened with his personal and professional background and said he wants to build trust through in‑person engagement, transparency and improved student supports. "I am the acting superintendent," Rocha told the board, and he framed his record around special education, safety and student mental‑health initiatives he said produced measurable changes.

Rocha described efforts to reduce special‑education legal costs through earlier interventions, home‑based services and alternative dispute resolution; he said those measures helped the district avoid what had been growing legal fees and "saved the district a million dollars" over six years. He also told the board the district…