Murrieta Valley USD Superintendent Kelley Announces Retirement

MURRIETA, CA — Murrieta Valley Unified School District Superintendent Patrick Kelley announced Friday he will retire at the end of the school year to spend more time with family.

Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Mary Walters has also announced her intention to retire at the end of the school year.

In a letter to the MVUSD community, Kelley said he submitted his notice early so the MVUSD Board of Trustees will have time to fill the superintendency position. Trustees will discuss the pending vacancy during the Nov. 18 regular board meeting.

Kelley said he and his wife will remain local.

"For me, the time is right to be more present for my wife and our children who are located all over the country," Kelley wrote in his letter. "My wife Kristi has patiently and lovingly yielded to the demanding schedule of a school administrator. I thank her for her unwavering support. It is my turn to return some of that selfless devotion and care she has shown me. Over many years, especially these last ten years as your Superintendent, my entire family has allowed me to undertake the mission of student success knowing it meant missed dinners, weekend work, and shortened vacations. I am very excited for retirement, knowing it will allow me to be more present in my family’s day-to-day lives while shifting to serve our wonderful community in other ways. I love this community! I will continue to live here and keep building the very best that has come to characterize our beloved Murrieta/Temecula valley.

"Thank you for the greatest privilege of my life and for allowing me to be a part of the Murrieta Valley U.S.D. family," Kelley continued.

Kelley has served in the district since 1991 when he was hired as a teacher at Shivela Middle School. He has served as MVUSD superintendent for the last 10 years.

“Under Superintendent Kelley’s leadership, Murrieta Valley U.S.D. consistently was recognized as the top district in the county, and one of the few designated ‘California Exemplary District’ in the state. He led the district with wisdom, compassion, strength, fairness and deeply cared for the Murrieta community” MVUSD Board President Linda Lunn said. “Even though Mr. Kelley is remaining local in his retirement, he will be dearly missed at the district."

Read Kelley's full Oct. 29 open letter below.*

In her letter to district staff, Walters reflected on her more than three decades of service.

"The mission of MVUSD is to inspire every student to think, to learn, to achieve and to care," she wrote. "I have been a part of this mission for 31 years and I am proud to have led teams of educational professionals who truly have inspired generations of Murrieta students. After 36 years in education, I have decided to retire at the end of the school year.”

Walters has served as a teacher, an assistant principal at Murrieta Valley High School, and in 2008 she became the inaugural principal of Murrieta Mesa High School.

Reflecting back on her appointment to lead the Rams, Walters said in her resignation letter to district staff, "From construction to the first day of school, I had the privilege of working with a phenomenal staff building a 'Ramily' and campus that exudes the motto, 'Pursue your Passion...Leave a Legacy! As I reflect on my time on Mesa, I am so grateful to the Board of Education and district administrators who had the confidence in me to create Murrieta Mesa."

Effective July 1, Walters will be replaced by Faythe Mutchnick-Jayx. Joe Parla will take over Mutchnick-Jayx's old job as executive director of elementary education.

Mutchnick-Jayx will oversee the four divisions that make up educational services (Special Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Student Support) as well as, supervise the administration of curriculum for the district’s 22 school sites. She will also be responsible for developing the annual Local Control Accountability Plan and parent engagement advisory committees.

Mutchnick-Jayx was previously principal of Lisa J. Mails and assistant principal of Vista Murrieta.

*Superintendent Patrick Kelley's open letter to the MVUSD community follows:

October 29, 2021

Dear Murrieta Valley Unified School District Community,

After 10 years as Superintendent, 31 years at MVUSD, and 35 years in education, I have decided to retire at the end of this school year.

When my wife Kristi and I moved to the area in 1991 and I was hired to be a teacher at Shivela Middle School, I never imagined the true blessing that Murrieta Valley Unified and this community would bring to us and our family. I am grateful for the many teachers, support staff, administrators, families, community members, and especially students who have positively impacted me and my family for years.

Serving students and families for many years has been an incredibly rewarding experience. From the intimate joys of serving as a classroom teacher to the daily leadership lessons of a school administrator, I have embraced and enjoyed each role. As Superintendent of a large suburban school district for the past ten years, I have considered myself blessed to have been entrusted, supported, and mentored by the Board of Education to fulfill such a considerable role. Thank you Board of Education Trustees for allowing me the privilege to work with you this past decade.

For the past year, I have privately made my intentions to retire at the end of this year to the Trustees. This timeframe has been one that my wife, Kristi and I had set as a goal for our family. While it was tempting on many days during the pandemic, I never dreamed to leave until we were solidly and confidently out of the storm and pointed in the right directions that have brought distinction to MVUSD for many years. In my time in education, I have never worked with a more talented group of district and site administration, teachers, and support staff.

My retirement will be effective in June. However, I shared this decision with the Board of Trustees early so they could have ample time to consider and carry out the task of how to best fill the superintendency position. There are talented, experienced, and passionate leaders in education and our Board is committed to finding that very best person for MVUSD. Our Trustees will discuss this as a Board at their November 18th Regular Board Meeting.

I feel it is important to highlight and appreciate why Murrieta is consistently rated the top district in the county, one of the best in the state, and why thousands of parents outside our school community seek to transfer their children here rather than enroll in their home districts. High quality academics and learning outcomes, visual and performing arts, career technical education, respect for all students’ backgrounds and experiences, athletics and student activity opportunities are all reasons why MVUSD is one of the few designated ‘California Exemplary District’ in California. This reputation has been built and will continue to be built by people far more talented than me. The credit for this reputation is due to all in the community who have stepped up over the years to proactively be a part of this mission. Simply put, I was on a mission with the very best of Murrieta. There will always be an ample supply of important work to be done and I know MVUSD will certainly continue this important work while focusing on student learning.

For me, the time is right to be more present for my wife and our children who are located all over the country. My wife Kristi has patiently and lovingly yielded to the demanding schedule of a school administrator. I thank her for her unwavering support. It is my turn to return some of that selfless devotion and care she has shown me. Over many years, especially these last ten years as your Superintendent, my entire family has allowed me to undertake the mission of student success knowing it meant missed dinners, weekend work, and shortened vacations. I am very excited for retirement, knowing it will allow me to be more present in my family’s day-to-day lives while shifting to serve our wonderful community in other ways. I love this community! I will continue to live here and keep building the very best that has come to characterize our beloved Murrieta/Temecula valley.

As I continue my position for the next 8 months, I see the importance of the intense, and expansive work before us. While we are certainly experiencing challenges related to the pandemic, I have a confidence that the worst is behind us, and we are slowly healing and restoring the very best aspects that were taken away. Please accept my commitment to sprint through the finish line, not letting up on our important work and emerging even better as we continue to focus on what is best for all students.

Thank you for the greatest privilege of my life and for allowing me to be a part of the Murrieta Valley U.S.D. family.

Patrick Kelley, Superintendent Murrieta Valley U.S.D.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that Walters was the inaugural principal at Murrieta Mesa High School, not Kelley. Walters also served as assistant principal at Murrieta Valley High School.