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Simi Valley Unified board provisionally appoints Dr. Steven Pietralongo to Area D seat after interviews
Summary
After interviewing five candidates in open session, the Simi Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees voted 3–1 to provisionally appoint Dr. Steven Pietralongo to the Area D vacancy. Trustees cited his long district experience and emphasis on career-technical education and enrollment strategies.
The Simi Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees voted 3–1 on Aug. 19 to provisionally appoint Dr. Steven Pietralongo to fill the Area D vacancy on the board.
Trustee Smolin moved to offer the provisional appointment to Dr. Pietralongo; Trustee James seconded the motion. The board recorded a roll-call vote of Trustee James — Aye; Trustee Gibran — Aye; Trustee Resnick — No; Clerk Smolin — Aye. The motion carried and trustees congratulated Dr. Pietralongo on the appointment.
Why it matters: The appointment fills an interim vacancy that trustees said must be staffed quickly so the board can continue work on district priorities including enrollment, budget planning and academic pathways. Trustees said the provisional appointment will be followed by a public notice and is subject to the formal challenge process under California Education Board procedures.
What trustees heard: The board conducted open interviews of five candidates in a structured format; each trustee selected questions to ask and candidates were allotted up to 30 minutes. In his interview, Dr. Pietralongo drew on decades of local education experience and stressed expanding career-technical education, advanced-placement and digital learning while promoting school branding to reverse declining enrollment. “We have to provide the kids with opportunities for them to excel,” Dr. Pietralongo said during his interview, summarizing his view that choice and hands-on pathways help attract and retain students.
Public comment and deliberation: Michael Pulsipher, a retired Simi Valley teacher, urged the board to consider Dr. Pietralongo and praised his longstanding work with students: “I’ve always been impressed with his interest and love for our school children,” Pulsipher said. Trustees’ deliberations referenced candidates’ differing strengths: some trustees favored an insider with deep classroom and administrative experience, while others highlighted outside perspectives and fiscal or operations expertise.
The vote and next steps: Following the 3–1 vote, the superintendent said the district would post public notice of the provisional appointment and reminded the public of the statutory process to challenge a provisional appointment. The board also said it will follow any required steps to finalize the appointment or respond to a challenge.
The meeting adjourned following announcements of future meetings.
