Santa Barbara Unified is getting a new district executive, who will be overseeing a number of services including special education, mental health support, attendance and the persisting issue of enrollment at the district.
This is the latest change in Superintendent Hilda Maldonado’s cabinet which, over the past several years, has seen an exodus of people in high-ranking positions.
The Board of the Santa Barbara Unified School District unanimously voted to appoint Marianne Hew as the new assistant superintendent of Family and Student Services.
The board approved her appointment at its May 19 board meeting and her contract at its June 9 meeting. She will be paid a yearly salary of $217,209 for a contract of two years.
“Dr. Hew was selected for her deep qualifications and strong performance over the past year as Executive Director of Secondary Schools with the District,” Ed Zuchelli, the district spokesperson, said in an email to the News-Press.
She succeeds ShaKenya Edison, who Maldonado hired, and served in the position for four years.
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“Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with enrollment and school counseling and mental health,” Hew told the News-Press. “I’m excited that this will be an opportunity to blend the two.”
Hew is entering her role at a time when the district is currently grappling with declining enrollment.
Since the 2023-2024 school year, enrollment has dropped by nearly 2% each year. The trend is projected to continue for the next school year. 11,714 students were enrolled in the district during 2025-2026, which is expected to drop to 11,438 for 2026-2027.
In this role, she said she wants to look at how the district can provide the adequate support families and students need so that they can fully participate in the classroom.
“She has vast experience empowering students and families to support students’ academic and social-emotional development, and we look forward to seeing her take over the role next month,” Zuchelli said.
Hew was promoted from her previous role as the executive director of secondary education. She managed all operations at the district’s junior high and high schools, including curriculum, instruction, professional learning, offerings and schedules, and school counseling.
She served in the position for a year, which is when she relocated to Santa Barbara.
Before coming to SBUSD, she worked primarily in San Francisco Bay Area school districts, bringing a total of 20 years of experience as an English and Japanese language teacher, assistant principal and district leader.
She oversaw the implementation of curriculum, policy and accountability for the Fremont Union High School District. Hew was also 1 of 20 public education professionals from across the country chosen to be a California Education Policy Leadership Fellow from 2018-2019.
She holds a bachelor’s in English from the University of Washington, a master’s in educational leadership from San Jose University, a master’s in education from Stanford University and a doctorate in organizational change and leadership from the University of Southern California.
Julianna Lozada is a Santa Barbara-based reporter. She previously wrote for Southern California News Group as well as the Beverly Hills Courier and Santa Clarita Valley Proclaimer. She holds dual degrees from Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University. More by Julianna Lozada • Santa Barbara News-Press
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