San Marcos Unified Announces Passing of Former Superintendent Dr. Kevin Holt
Message from Superintendent Dr. Andy Johnsen on the passing of former Superintendent Dr. Kevin Holt
It is with great sadness that the San Marcos Unified School District announces the passing of beloved former superintendent Dr. Kevin Holt.
Dr. Holt retired as SMUSD’s superintendent in June 2017, after 14 years with the district. He was hired as SMUSD’s superintendent in 2007 after serving as Assistant Superintendent of
Human Resources for three years. Dr. Holt briefly returned to SMUSD as interim superintendent in late 2020.
Dr. Holt discovered his passion for education at an early age, working as an instructional aide at an elementary school when he was 18 years old. He earned his BA and teaching credential from California State, Long Beach. He held a master’s degree in Education Administration from CSU Los Angeles and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from UC San Diego. Prior to joining SMUSD, Dr. Holt worked as a teacher and administrator for Long Beach Unified, Norwalk/La Mirada Unified and Temecula school districts.
As a lifelong educator, Dr. Holt was passionate about equity and access for all students. He co-chaired the San Diego County Office of Education’s Achievement Gap Task Force and helped form the San Marcos Promise Foundation, which provides scholarships and college admission support to SMUSD students. He was serving on the Board of the San Marcos Promise Foundation at the time of his death. Dr. Holt also served as a Board Member for the Boys and Girls Club of San Marcos. In 2015, Dr. Holt was honored with the Fran Aleshire Award for his outstanding leadership and regional involvement by the San Diego North Economic Development Council. His program Just Pick One was created to encourage North County educators and staff members to support and mentor a student. He led by example and continued to mentor students even after his retirement, making substantial progress towards closing the achievement gap in San Diego County.
Plans are being made to celebrate Dr. Holt’s life and legacy.
