I was very sad when I received word that Tom Mohr the Superintendent of the San Mateo Unified High School District is retiring. Tom?s career has spanned over 43 years. He came to the SMUHSD in 1985 as the assistant superintendent and took over the superintendent job in 1996.
When Tom took over as superintendent the district started something I think the district lacked for many years, communication. I have never seen a person that worked so hard on pulling a community together for the betterment of our school system. Tom is known for his 7 day a week work schedule and never refusing to give up even when things looked pretty bleak.
I give Tom most of the credit for getting Measure D passed so our high schools could be upgraded and modernized. He fought a huge battle to get San Mateo High School torn down and a new building to replace it without having to go out for another bond. The day he received news from the state that SMHS was unsafe, he pulled the students and teachers out of the building that day. There was only a few days left in the school year but Tom would not take a chance that even one child might be injured.
Tom came to Foster City every month and invited the public to attend and voice any concerns or input. Tom reached out to Foster City as no one has ever done before. Tom has so many successes since he has been superintendent it would take several pages to list.
If there is any bright light at all in Tom?s retirement, it is the person the SMUHSD has chosen to replace Tom. Associate Superintendent Sam Johnson, Jr. is going to step in on February 1. Sam has also been a great communicator in the community and worked side by side with Tom. I hope to see the continued effort that we had with Tom from Sam Johnson, Jr.
Enjoy your well deserved retirement Tom, we will all miss you!
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