Garden Grove : Huntington Beach Supt. to Join Largest District

Lawrence Kemper, superintendent of Huntington Beach City (elementary) School District for the last seven years, has been named assistant superintendent for operational services in the Garden Grove Unified School District. Garden Grove Unified Supt. Ed Dundon said Kemper’s appointment is effective July 14.

Kemper, 50, said he regrets leaving the Huntington Beach district but looks forward to the challenge in Garden Grove, which has more students than any district in the county.

Although the Huntington Beach district in recent years has had heated community battles over school closings due to declining enrollment, Kemper said those struggles in no way led to his decision to leave. “Those things are just part of being a school superintendent. I had two more years on my contract,” he said.

“Actually, it’s a good time to leave now because our enrollment has leveled off, and no more schools must close.”

Kemper said the procedure for naming his successor will be discussed by the Huntington Beach school board at a meeting Tuesday.

Kemper has been a teacher and school administrator for 29 years. Before joining the Huntington Beach district in 1979, he was superintendent of the Palmdale School District and director of instruction and personnel of the La Canada Unified School District, and held teaching and administrative jobs in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Kemper received his doctorate from USC. In his new job, he will have charge of alternative education, special education, instructional technology and programs for gifted and talented education students.