Former Murrieta Valley USD Superintendent Dies From COVID-19

MURRIETA, CA — The Murrieta Valley Unified School District is mourning the passing Sunday of former Superintendent Dr. Stan Scheer due to complications from coronavirus. He was 77.

His passing at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado, came just days after his wife, Marian, 82, also succumbed to the virus on Dec. 7.

"It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness, the Murrieta Valley USD mourns the passing of former Superintendent Stan Scheer. Stan succumbed to COVID-19 complications on Sunday, December 13, 2020," the MVUSD said in a released statement.

Scheer began his tenure as MVUSD superintendent on July 1, 2006, where he led the district through years of growth with the additions of Dorothy McElhinney Middle School, Murrieta Mesa High School, and Lisa J. Mails Elementary School, despite a very difficult financial time in the state, the MVUSD said.

"His excellence in leadership and commitment to community strengthened the Board of Education’s strategic planning process and vision to inspire every student to think, to learn, to achieve, to care," the statement continued. "He was a man focused on student learning. His accomplishments coupled with his transparency, wit, integrity, and passion for educating youth have left a legacy in Murrieta."

Current MVUSD Superintendent Patrick Kelley said, “Stan was a beloved leader, strong and assured in his faith. His thoughtful innovations, coupled with vast experience and wisdom, permeate our entire school district. He will be sorely missed.”

Scheer left the district in 2012 for a superintendent post in Loveland, Colorado's Thompson School District. He said his primary reason for accepting the out-of-state position was to be closer to his family. He told the MVUSD community that he and his wife had siblings in cities near Loveland, as well two sons and four grandchildren who lived close by. His 93-year-old mother lived in nearby Cheyenne, Wyoming.

"I am quite familiar with the Loveland area because of its close proximity to my childhood home," Scheer said.

He retired from Thompson in June 2018 and planned to spend time with his wife, five children and 13 grandchildren, according to the Loveland Reporter-Herald.

“This is a rare human being who had just compassion for everyone, but especially kids,” former Loveland Mayor Cecil Gutierrez told the newspaper. “The community just lost somebody really special.”