Palm Springs Unified School District superintendent announces retirement
Tony Signoret took over as superintendent in January 2024. He is the third superintendent to lead the district in the past five years.
Tony Signoret, superintendent of Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD), announced Wednesday he will retire on June 30, ending a career that spans more than three decades with the district.
Signoret took over as superintendent in January 2024 after serving as interim superintendent for a year. He is the third superintendent to lead PSUSD in five years, following Mike Swize, who resigned in June 2023, and Sandra Lyon, who retired in June 2021.
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“The unwavering support, mentorship, and training I received guided me through each step of my career. As a parent, the district continued to be there for me — offering guidance and counsel as we navigated the journey with our foster and adopted children,” Signoret said in a letter to the PSUSD community.
His retirement comes despite a contract extension approved unanimously by the board in November that would have kept him in the position through June 30, 2027, with a salary of $290,000.
In his announcement letter, Signoret described the decision as a “difficult choice” but expressed his desire to spend more time with family, including children living across the country and in Europe, as well as his parents in Mexico. Signoret also noted that two of his 10 children are still enrolled in the district.
He reassured the community that PSUSD remains committed to its initiatives and “will not back down.”
The bilingual educator, who was raised in Mexico City, made history as the first Latino to lead the school district.
His 35-year education career included 31 years at PSUSD, beginning as a bilingual teacher at Agua Caliente Elementary before advancing to administrative positions including assistant principal, principal, and director of certificated human resources.
Before returning to PSUSD in 2017 as assistant superintendent of human resources, Signoret held the same position at Desert Sands Unified School District for two years.
The district plans to begin its search for a new superintendent in the coming months and intends to name Signoret’s successor before the end of the school year.
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