Jane A. Russo - Superintendent

Jane Russo serves as Superintendent for the Santa Ana Unified School District. She is the first woman to be appointed Superintendent in the history of the Santa Ana Unified School District, which was founded in the year 1888. She is the lead administrator of the fifth largest school district in California, with 55,000 students, 63 schools, and more than 4,500 employees. Following Board of Education policies, Ms. Russo supervises all curricular, financial, maintenance, construction and personnel functions in the district, serving a population representing 92% Latino students with more than 60% English Learners. She is responsible for implementing curricular policies to continue steady progress towards State and Federal mandated achievement levels on standardized testing. In addition, she works closely with local government and business organizations to address the needs of the community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and the Federal Empowerment Corporation.

As a former teacher in both Arizona and California, Ms. Russo has acquired extensive experience since 1973 in the educational arena including at the classroom level as reading specialist, assistant principal, principal, curriculum and instruction leader, area administrator, assistant superintendent and deputy superintendent. In 1999, she was named the Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators, Region 17. Having lived in the City of Santa Ana for 19 years and worked in the District for 22, she understands the community at large and is passionate and dedicated about the students, staff, and parents she serves.