Back to school in Rancho Santa Fe

The new school year kicked off at R. Roger Rowe School on Aug. 11, an enthusiastic welcome back that included a fun photo station for student arrivals, big smiles and helping hands from teachers and greetings from the school mascot.

“Our first day was filled with excitement and the warmth of our incredibly unique community,” said Rancho Santa Fe School District Superintendent Kim Pinkerton at the board’s Aug. 12 meeting. The Rancho Santa Fe Education Foundation hosted a festive welcome back event for parents with community partner Tim Cusac, owner of the village’s Caffe Positano, providing the brew for the 21st year in a row.

Rowe has an enrollment of 491 students to start the year, along with a new food servery for student meals and a new bell schedule for middle schoolers. Pinkerton said the teachers are committed to making this year a success for all students, a reflection of the district’s new vision statement: To empower leaders, nurture community and shape a better future together.

At the Aug. 11 meeting, the board expressed its confidence in Pinkerton’s leadership, approving the first amendment to her three-year employment contract, resulting in a 4% salary bump. Effective July 1, her salary will increase to $244,400.

“I am pleased with how Superintendent Pinkerton has brought the school community together so quickly in her first year here and has accomplished every goal that was set for her,” said board President Jee Manghani. “This has given the district incredible momentum for this upcoming year and a firm foundation for the next decade to do even greater things.”