Cloverland Elementary School will see a new Principal this year. Larry Bonds has officially taken over the role, effective July 1. He was the unanimous choice to fill the role of a seven-person interview panel that included Oakdale Joint Unified School District Superintendent Marc Malone and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Barbara Shook, two elementary school principals, a teacher, an office staff member, and a parent.
“He definitely comes to us with a wealth of experience and it was obvious in the interview,” said Assistant Superintendent Shook, adding that it was part of what made him go to the top of the list.
Bonds comes from the Yuba City Unified School District, located above Sacramento, where he was employed for nine years. His experience stems from holding positions at a variety of grade levels. For the past two years, Bonds has served as Principal of Barry Elementary, a K-8 school of 550 students that has an API (Academic Performance Index) of 813. His previous experience also includes opening a high school where he served three years as Principal. He began his career as a teacher at the elementary and middle school levels. This new school year will be the start of his 20th year in education and his 15th year in administration. He obtained his bachelors and masters degrees from CSU Fresno.
Shook noted that other qualities that made Bonds stand out are his enthusiasm and humor, which she said are also pieces to look for, especially for someone who will work with young children.
Cloverland’s current API score is the highest in the district at 849.
“I looked at their performance and Cloverland is doing very well,” Bonds said. “I want to learn the school and the school community as much as possible.”
Shook stated that Cloverland, like all of the district’s elementary schools, has a stated goal of a 900 API.
“I’m excited. I’m excited to get in there and support that goal,” Bonds added.
He also said that getting to know the teachers, families, and students, as well as aspects of the Oakdale community are an important part of the job.
Bonds, who was raised in the Central Valley farming community of Dos Palos, said that he and his wife Wendy are looking forward to moving to Oakdale because they like the small town atmosphere. He reported that the Yuba district consists of nearly 13,000 students and 17 schools, and the town of Yuba is approximately three times the size of Oakdale. He and his wife have a one-year old son, a child on the way, and also have other family in this area. He is an outdoorsman and enjoys fishing and hunting. He also said that he and his wife enjoy traveling, spending time with family, and that they both hail from small towns.
Bonds replaces former Cloverland Principal Stacey Aprile who will be the new Fair Oaks Elementary School Principal. Aprile fills the vacated seat of former Fair Oaks Principal David Kindred who’s moved to Sierra View Elementary School to fill the Principal role there. Former Sierra View Principal Terri Taylor moved to the OJUSD office to serve as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, filling the former role of Marc Malone, who was promoted to District Superintendent.
“He definitely comes to us with a wealth of experience and it was obvious in the interview,” said Assistant Superintendent Shook, adding that it was part of what made him go to the top of the list.
Bonds comes from the Yuba City Unified School District, located above Sacramento, where he was employed for nine years. His experience stems from holding positions at a variety of grade levels. For the past two years, Bonds has served as Principal of Barry Elementary, a K-8 school of 550 students that has an API (Academic Performance Index) of 813. His previous experience also includes opening a high school where he served three years as Principal. He began his career as a teacher at the elementary and middle school levels. This new school year will be the start of his 20th year in education and his 15th year in administration. He obtained his bachelors and masters degrees from CSU Fresno.
Shook noted that other qualities that made Bonds stand out are his enthusiasm and humor, which she said are also pieces to look for, especially for someone who will work with young children.
Cloverland’s current API score is the highest in the district at 849.
“I looked at their performance and Cloverland is doing very well,” Bonds said. “I want to learn the school and the school community as much as possible.”
Shook stated that Cloverland, like all of the district’s elementary schools, has a stated goal of a 900 API.
“I’m excited. I’m excited to get in there and support that goal,” Bonds added.
He also said that getting to know the teachers, families, and students, as well as aspects of the Oakdale community are an important part of the job.
Bonds, who was raised in the Central Valley farming community of Dos Palos, said that he and his wife Wendy are looking forward to moving to Oakdale because they like the small town atmosphere. He reported that the Yuba district consists of nearly 13,000 students and 17 schools, and the town of Yuba is approximately three times the size of Oakdale. He and his wife have a one-year old son, a child on the way, and also have other family in this area. He is an outdoorsman and enjoys fishing and hunting. He also said that he and his wife enjoy traveling, spending time with family, and that they both hail from small towns.
Bonds replaces former Cloverland Principal Stacey Aprile who will be the new Fair Oaks Elementary School Principal. Aprile fills the vacated seat of former Fair Oaks Principal David Kindred who’s moved to Sierra View Elementary School to fill the Principal role there. Former Sierra View Principal Terri Taylor moved to the OJUSD office to serve as Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, filling the former role of Marc Malone, who was promoted to District Superintendent.
