 The quick appointment, without a search process or community input, was described as "highly unusual - virtually unheard of" by the "San Diego Union Tribune".List of primary and secondary schools in San Diego organized by district

In 2017, the district partnered with the Ocean Discovery Institute, a nonprofit that works to teach kids about science and conservation, to bring a $15 million tuition-free learning and research center to the City Heights neighborhood.The building will be a permanent campus for the nonprofit and will include two laboratories, a garden, a community kitchen and a residence for a live-in staff member.