Barry Kayrell, new HUSD superintendent Photo by J.P. Crumrine

The Hemet Unified School District directors unanimously appointed Dr. Barry Kayrell as its next district superintendent.

Kayrell is currently the superintendent of Beaumont Unified School District and has been there seven years. On Oct. 1, he will start at Hemet.

After the vote, Board President Bill Sanborn introduced Kayrell to the audience. He thanked the directors for their confidence and said, “I’m anxious to move the district forward.”

The board’s decision was easily made, according to Sanborn, because “[Kayrell] shines really obviously. He’s well respected, well liked, and a real asset.”

After interviewing the search firm’s recommended candidates, Sanborn thought Kayrell was so impressive; if he turned down the offer, the board would readvertise the position.

Kayrell, who will earn $205,000 annually, is beginning his 37th year in public education.

After shaking hands for nearly an hour with dozens of district employees, Kayrell said, “It a banner day for me. It’s been a dream to work in a large district with the breadth and depth of programs here. It’s truly outstanding.” Hemet’s enrollment is nearly 22,000 students compared to Beaumont’s of about 8,300.

As a superintendent, Kayrell is very sensitive to the fragility of the school district finances. Once at Hemet he plans to review its budget. And he shared, “If the [the governor’s tax] initiative fails, every school district will have problems.”