New superintendent energizes Palm Springs school staff with call for excellence at kickoff event

Palm Springs Unified School District’s new superintendent Dr. Marcus Funchess delivered an energetic call for excellence Monday morning as hundreds of elementary school staff gathered at Richards Center for the Arts to kick off the new school year.

Funchess, who began his role July 1, brought high energy and enthusiasm to his first major address to staff, repeatedly calling district employees “trailblazers” and leading chants of “PSUSD excellence” during the first of two similar kickoff sessions. The school year begins Wednesday.

“We’re going to elevate that focus and that drive to the highest levels of excellence,” Funchess told the crowd. “Everyone matters and counts as we begin to move forward when writing this story of excellence together.”

The new superintendent outlined his vision for developing “strong and confident young people” who can compete globally, emphasizing that the district is “developing future leaders and difference makers.” He challenged staff to think big about student potential, suggesting future Palm Springs Unified graduates could become California’s governor or make breakthrough medical discoveries.

District officials used the kickoff to celebrate significant achievements in student attendance and academic progress. Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Jeffrey Simmons recognized multiple elementary schools for exceeding district attendance goals and dramatically reducing chronic absenteeism rates.

Cathedral City Elementary emerged as a standout performer, earning recognition for most improved attendance rates and achieving the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in the district at 7.87%. Other schools recognized included Bella Vista Elementary for a 7.44% decrease in chronic absenteeism and Rio Vista Elementary for exceeding the district’s 94.5% attendance goal.

“All elementary schools combined achieved that goal together,” Simmons said of the district’s 2% attendance improvement target.

The district serves nearly 19,000 students across 27 school sites spanning 500 square miles, with more than 2,700 certified and classified staff members. Over 95% of students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, and over 10% are classified as homeless. Despite these challenges, the district maintains a 90.3% graduation rate with about 50% of graduates attending college within one year.

Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Simone Kovats unveiled the district’s new “Portrait of a Graduate” initiative, which focuses on developing four essential skills in all students: collaboration, communication, problem solving and work ethic. The initiative emerged from conversations with educational partners about what skills students need “to thrive in a rapidly changing world.”

The district has also achieved recognition as the first arts equity district in the Coachella Valley, committing to equitable access to standards-based arts learning for every student.

The Foundation for Palm Springs Unified was also recognized during the event, with its director, Ellen Goodman, mentioning via video how it supports students through various programs, including providing 2,500 pairs of new tennis shoes annually for unhoused students and establishing wellness centers across campuses.

PSUSD Board of Education President Sergio Espericueta welcomed staff back and emphasized the district’s commitment to supporting educators with necessary resources and programs. “Together, we can make this year one of growth, joy and achievement for every child,” Espericueta said.

The district’s theme for the year is “The Story of Us,” highlighting that “you can’t spell PSUSD without US.” Funchess embraced this message, telling staff that “the very academic career, emotional, social lives of our scholars many times depends on what we do in our schools.”

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