Local News in Brief : Oak Park School Head Leaving for New Post

The first and only superintendent of the Oak Park Unified School District is leaving to head a Northern California school district.

Dan Thompson, 53, who helped form the small Ventura County school district 10 years ago, has resigned to become superintendent of the Novato Unified School District in Marin County outside San Francisco.

“He will be going to a substantially larger school district where they can be a little more flexible in the programs and curriculum offered,” said David Ross, president of the Oak Park district’s board.

The Novato district has 13 schools with 7,700 students, contrasted with three schools and 1,100 students in Oak Park, which serves a 1,600-home community at the northern end of Kanan Road. Thompson was paid $61,300 a year with Oak Park, and will receive $73,500 in his new post.

Annette Conklin, a spokeswoman for the Novato district, said trustees there picked Thompson over five other finalists for the job. “They decided on Dan Thompson because they were impressed with his overall ability and commitment to excellence in education,” she said.

Ross said Oak Park officials have begun looking for a replacement and hope to make an appointment by the first week in August.