Hermosa Beach Schools Superintendent Johnson leaves district with lasting legacy
by Kevin Cody
“Don’t donate,” Hermosa Beach School Superintendent Jason Johnson pleaded with families of the 200 students lined up for the Eighth Annual Dolphin Dash last year. The run was $14,000 short of its $120,000 fundraising goal.
Each year, Johnson agrees to take a pie in the face if the run’s fundraising goal is reached. The preceding year he actually took 50 pies in the face after that year’s $100,000 goal was reached.
Johnson lined up at the starting line wearing aviator sunglasses, running shoes, red white and blue socks, wristbands and headband, white shorts, and a blue Dolphin Dash T-shirt.
Principal Hillary Overbeck wrestles for starting line position with Superintendent Jason Johnson at the 2023 Dolphin Dash. Photo by Kevin Cody
His Dolphin Dash T-shirt, unlike any of the other runners, was tucked into his shorts. In Hermosa, where a Hawaiian shirt is cocktail attire, Johnson’s casual attire is a suit without a tie.
He traces his fastidious dress to his mom, who taught him to “dress for success,” and later to when he began teaching special ed at Markham Middle School in Watts for Teach for America. Its teachers are encouraged to dress as both role models and authority figures.
The following week, at the school assembly, his tan suit and navy blue tie were white with cream pies. The last pie was thrown by Hermosa Valley School principal Jessica Bledsoe.
Those were the last pies Johnson is taking for team Hermosa. In July, he is leaving to become superintendent of the El Segundo Unified School District.
Hermosa Beach Schools Superintendent Jason Johnson takes a pie to the face, (actually 50 pies), following 2022’s successful Dolphin Dash fundraiser. Photo courtesy of HBCSD
Hermosa and El Segundo are similar in population and income. Hermosa has roughly 19,000 residents, and a household income of $149,000. El Segundo has roughly 17,000 residents and a $142,000 household income.
Like Hermosa, El Segundo has two elementary schools and one middle school. Unlike Hermosa, it also has a high school.
El Segundo’s enrollment is 3,600, more than double Hermosa’s 1,300, as is El Segundo’s $50 million budget.
Johnson came to Hermosa in July 2001 from the Redondo Beach school district, where he was principal at Lincoln Elementary. He started at Redondo in 2010, and quickly caught the attention of then-Superintendent Steven Keller.
“Jason early on used to ask me a lot of questions about being superintendent,” Keller told Easy Reader when Hermosa hired Johnson. “I’d go home and tell my wife, ‘You know there’s this new guy Jason, he’s asking me a lot of questions.’”
“I know plenty of people that ask pretty smart questions, and they walk away and don’t do anything with it. Jason puts that in the databank. Believe me, that data collects. And ultimately he responds with action,” Keller said.
When Johnson came to Hermosa, its schools, along with the rest of Los Angeles County schools, had been closed for three months because of COVID.
“Even though it’s a very hard time to come in, this is the time. If there was ever going to be a moment this is the time to step up. That’s what leadership is about, right? It’s not about coming in at the quote-unquote right time. It’s actually about coming in at the wrong time,” Johnson said in an Easy Reader interview.
Hermosa Beach School Board President Maggie Bove-LaMonica, and Superintendent Jason Johnson are joined by the school board and the construction team in cutting the ribbon for the newly remodeled Hermosa View School in 2022. Photo by Kevin Cody
Public school enrollment and test scores fell statewide during the pandemic. Hermosa’s enrollment fell from 1,300 in 2016 to 1,100 to 2020. Many school districts are still struggling to recover.
But within a year of schools’ reopening, Hermosa School Board President Margaret Bove-LaMonica, was able to declare at her 2022 State of the Schools address, “The state of Hermosa schools is good.”
Unlike in most other districts, Hermosa’s enrollment and test scores were back to pre-COVID levels. That year, the district placed in the 95 percentile on the Statewide English and math tests, the highest scores in the South Bay.
The State of the School presentation took place in the multi-purpose room of the newly remodeled Hermosa View School. The district had used the COVID campus closures as an opportunity to finish construction of the new $29 million Hermosa Vista Elementary School on the former North School site, and the $28 million remodel of View. Prior to the remodel some View students were taught in trailers.
“We saw other communities torn apart during COVID, and we didn’t have to look far,” Johnson told parents when he spoke at the 2022 State of the Schools night. “But Hermosa is a special place. We prioritized what was important, and became one of the first school districts in the state to bring kids back on campus. I’m proud of the way we worked together” Johnson.
Hermosa Beach School Board President Maggie Bove-LaMonica, and Superintendent Jason Johnson are joined by the school board and the construction team in cutting the ribbon for the newly remodeled Hermosa View School in 2022. Photo by Kevin Cody
The district’s upward trajectory was still in evidence when Johnson gave his State of the City address this past January.
Enrollment was continuing to climb, boosted by the district’s newly opened preschool, and being the first district in the South Bay to offer all day transitional kindergarten and kindergarten.
“Enrollment is something districts have control over, which is why we have focused on our preschool, and transitional South Bay kindergarten programs. They feed kids into our upper grades,” he said.
While neighboring South Bay districts were struggling with loss of students to new private schools that gained a foothold during the pandemic, Hermosa’s 2023-24 enrolment enrollment rose by 58 students (4%), resulting in a $714,792 increase in state funding. (Hermosa receives $12,234 per student from the state).
The district still ran a $1.7 million deficit in 2023-24 and projects deficits of approximately $1 million a year through 2025-26. But the budget will be back in the black if Johnson’s projections for a 4% enrollment increase continues through 2026.
Johnson said in an interview this week the stat he takes the most pride in is this year’s “Net Provider Score,” from a survey that measured the difference between parents who would, or would not recommend Hermosa Schools to their friends.
“This year the positive response was at an all time high,” he said.
“I tell people to take the Pepsi challenge. Step on campus. We have great kids, awesome kids,” he said.
One benefit of a small district, he pointed out, is that friendships deepen as classmates stay together, now from preschool, through eighth grade.
On Thursday, May 30, Hermosa Valley will host the district’s Third Annual Senior Sendoff for Hermosa district graduates graduating from high school this June.
The academic program Johnson said he takes the most pride in is its full inclusion program for special ed students.
“We have two teachers in the classrooms. It helps all kids. When we start talking about kids not belonging in the classroom, we undo the culture we are trying to build,” he said.
Another of the district’s innovations, Johnson said, was suggested by former School Board Member Stephen McCall. It requires students who ride e-bikes to school to have district-issued stickers as evidence they have completed an e-bike safety class. Students must also wear helmets.
Johnson is aware of residents’ complaints about reckless teenage e-bikers. He said the district works with the Hermosa Beach Police on e-bike safety education at the schools, and imposes “disciplinary consequences” for traffic violations.
“If a kid misbehaves, we want to address it. It can be an education issue. It can be a family issue.
“When I hear stories about these kids, I want to put my arms around them. People say it’s not as simple as that. It is that simple. Something is wrong and the kids need help.
“It can be hard to put your finger on the dial. But we can control our kids,” he said.
Johnson’s enthusiasm for his new El Segundo job is tempered by what he leaves unfinished in Hermosa.
The most pressing project is passage of a $28 million school bond planned for the November ballot. Proceeds are meant to upgrade Hermosa Valley middle school.
“I wish I could be here to work on that,
“We want science labs that are as good as Manhattan Beach Middle School’s,” he said. The bond money will also be used for facilities and field improvements, and to make access to the campus more difficult to prevent tragedies like the Uvalde, Texas, mass shooting.
The new bond won’t increase property taxes, but will extend the 2002 and 2014 property taxes that are due to expire. Hermosa’s $34.95 tax rate is less than half that of Manhattan Beach‘s ($87.96) and Redondo’s ($72.34). El Segundo’s tax rate is $153.07.
During his State of the Schools address in January, Johnson pointedly reminded parents, “Every decade, a new generation of parents has helped to pay it forward. In 2002, voters approved a $14 million school bond to remodel Valley School and build a gymnasium. In 2016, voters approved the $59 million bond to build the new Vista School and remodel View School.”
He said he’s confident parents will help pay it forward again.
“Parents know the Hermosa Beach City School district shouldn’t exist. It’s too small. It should merge with Manhattan or Redondo. But propose that and watch the claws come out,” he said.
In El Segundo, Johnson will replace Melissa Moore, the district’s highly regarded superintendent, who is retiring after 10 years in the position. Moore was named Superintendent of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators in 2018.
“I feel Hermosa Beach is the epicenter of urban culture. I feel El Segundo is the epicenter of innovation,”Johnson said.
His new district’s motto is “Transforming Education for a Changing World.
“The future of education is hands-on experience. El Segundo has 75 internship programs,’\” Johnson said. “The district is a leader in AI (artificial intelligence).” Dr. Moore convened a district forum on AI two years ago, before AI was a water cooler topic.
“AI is going to dramatically change the educational landscape. We have adaptive learning,” he said, referring to individualized, or tutoring programs. “With AI we can go into responsive learning.”
“I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said.
Three-term Hermosa School Board Member Jen Cole, said the board is disappointed by Johnson’s departure, but confident the district will continue on its upward trajectory, in large part because of what he leaves behind.
“We have excellent principals, great teachers, a new preschool, a strong administrative staff, and strong community support. Jason’s leaving us in a good place,” Cole said. ER.