The Palo Alto Unified School District is undergoing multiple leadership staffing changes for the 2026-27 school year due to retiring principals and new additions to the district.
Elsa Chen is meant to take on the role of principal of Palo Verde Elementary School, replacing Lee. Chen is currently the principal of Ohlone Elementary School and is handing her position off to Joseph Stendahl, currently an administrative teacher at Escondido Elementary School.
Lisa Hickey, the superintendent of Millbrae Elementary School District, is set to leave her current role to once again be the principal of Juana Briones Elementary School for the upcoming school year. She will replace principal Kathryn Bimpson, who plans to officially retire after this year. Hickey formerly was the human resources director for the PAUSD and, before that, principal of JLS.
Hickey said she aims to leave the Millbrae Elementary School District in a good position to continue progressing in her absence.
“I came at a time where we [district] have made some positive change, so I want to continue to set that up,” Hickey said. “That looks like getting these things in motion and getting momentum rolling so that Milbrae can still keep moving forward even if I’m not there.”
Hickey also explained that she doesn’t want to start making changes as soon as she returns to Juana Briones Elementary School and would prefer to slowly reintroduce herself.
“Before implementing any change, I just want to … get a baseline of where the culture is and maybe how it’s changed,” Hickey said.
Nevertheless, Hickey said she is looking forward to returning to PAUSD and hopes to reconnect with the community.
“I really missed the ability to build the school community,” Hickey said. “It [Juana Briones] is a special school.”
Jim Sherman, principal of the Palo Alto Adult School, will also retire at the end of this school year.
Sherman was previously both an elementary and middle school principal and stated that his work at the Adult School has differed drastically from what he was used to.
“It’s just so different,” Sherman said. “Other principals, they talk about student discipline. … And when you’re talking about adults, we usually don’t have any discipline problems.”
Annora Lee has been chosen to fill his position and will leave her role as principal of Palo Verde Elementary School.
Sherman is confident in Lee’s abilities.
“She’s great,” Sherman said. “As soon as she was thinking about this [taking the role], I said ‘this would be perfect for you’. She has a high schooler and a middle schooler. She’s been working with young kids for a long time and now she’s transitioning to the adults, I think it’s perfect.”