Palm Springs Unified makes it official: Tony Signoret is superintendent

Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun
Updated ·2 min read
.

Palm Springs Unified School District has made it official: Tony Signoret is the district's new superintendent, effective in the new year. Signoret's contract of $290,000 will run through June 30, 2025.

Signoret began serving as the district's interim superintendent in July, when Mike Swize, former superintendent, accepted the same position at Perris Elementary School District.

"I am anxious to continue the amazing work we are doing and look forward to moving forward and making even more strides in collaboration with our dedicated team of administrators, teachers and support staff," Signoret said in a statement. "I look forward to our continued focus on academic success and becoming an anti-racist organization committed to diversity, equity and inclusion."

Signoret has spent the majority of his 33-year career in education with Palm Springs Unified. He got his start as a bilingual teacher at Agua Caliente Elementary School before becoming an assistant principal and principal at the elementary and middle school levels. He then served as the district’s director of certificated human resources. Signoret strayed from the district for only two years as Desert Sands Unified School District’s assistant superintendent of human resources before returning to PSUSD in that same role.

"The extensive search process only confirmed the board's belief that Dr. Signoret is the right leader to guide the district through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead," Board of Education President John Gerardi said. The board interviewed five finalists out of 22 applicants.

Raised in Mexico City, Signoret is bilingual in Spanish. He earned a master's degree in educational leadership from Chapman University and a doctoral degree in organizational leadership from the University of La Verne.

At Desert Sands Unified’s school board meeting, also on Tuesday night, Superintendent Kelly May-Vollmar wished Signoret the best and acknowledged his two years at Desert Sands Unified.

"We know Palm Springs is in great hands under his leadership," she said.

Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com. Previous reporting by Jonathan Horwitz is included in this report.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Springs Unified makes it official: Superintendent Tony Signoret