Madera Unified School District sets its sights on 2020

Madera Unified trustees are set to guide the school district into 2020, having extended the contract of Superintendent Todd Lile and chosen a new president and clerk for the new year.

In its annual organizational meeting on Dec. 13, Madera Unified trustees gave Ruben Mendoza the president’s gavel for 2020 and chose trustee Brent Fernandes to replace him as clerk. Mendoza replaces senior board member Ray Seibert as president. The vote for both trustees was unanimous.

Lile was given a revised contract in November. He signed his first contract as MUSD superintendent in August 2017. It was scheduled to run until June 30, 2021. The board amended this agreement to extend it to June 30, 2023. It also increased Lile’s salary from $215,000 to $225,000 annually.

Lile is a true Madera native, having been born here and educated in local schools.

He began his education at John Adams Elementary and continued at Howard School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School. He graduated from Madera High School in 1992.

After graduating from Fresno State, Lile was hired by Clovis Unified to teach at CART, its innovative Center for Research and Technology.

Lile had two stints of teaching overseas, one in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, and the other at Dubai, then it was back to CART for one year before Madera South High School called to entice him to Madera as one of its vice principals. He remained in that position for 3 1/2 years and then moved into the principal’s chair.

Lile came to the district office when Ed Gonzalez wanted him as the Chief Academic Officer for Madera’s middle schools and high schools. Lile took Gonzalez’ place as interim superintendent when the latter was dismissed by the board. He became permanent superintendent in 2017.