Cancy McArn becomes new permanent superintendent of Sacramento City Unified schools
Longtime Sacramento City Unified School District employee Cancy McArn was named the district’s permanent superintendent following an unanimous vote Thursday evening.
McArn assumed the role in an interim capacity after former superintendent Lisa Allen resigned suddenly in February. For three months, McArn served as both district leader and in her former position as chief human resources officer and lead negotiator.
“This district is part of who I am,” McArn said. “I honor the leadership that has come before me, and I accept the role with both humility and determination.”
The district’s Board of Trustees voted 7-0 to appoint McArn.
“Our district is in a pivotal moment that requires stable leadership, a commitment to rebuild trust and an unwavering focus on our end goal: a thriving education system designed for every student’s success,” Board President Tara Jeane said. “Over the last three decades, Cancy McArn has been a member of our community, doing the work day in and day out.”
Who is Cancy McArn?
McArn, now in her 30th year with the district, began her career at Sacramento City Unified in 1997 as an elementary school teacher. She later served as a teacher support coordinator before moving into the human resources department, which she had led since 2013.
Since taking the interim role, McArn has led a district of nearly 36,000 students as it navigates a harrowing financial crisis that threatens to put it in state receivership by the fall.
“Over the last three months in her role as interim superintendent she has further demonstrated her willingness to step up where she is needed, to face hard truths, to have hard conversations, and to make the necessary decisions, which is more information than any interview process is able to produce,” Jeane said.
Allen departed without warning in February after 30 years with the district, three of which were at the helm.
The timing of her departure led to questions about Allen’s involvement in the fiscal crisis despite Jeane’s insistence that the mutual decision was not a direct result of the budget process.
At the time of Allen’s departure, Jeane said the district would announce its plan to search for a new superintendent within a few weeks. Districts typically hire a firm to conduct a national search for the position.
Sacramento City Unified did not launch a national search, although Jeane said at a March 5 meeting that a committee was drafting a request for proposals from consulting firms.
“We believe that an outside hire simply cannot match her deep local experience, her long established relationships or her profound commitment to the success of this organization and our students,” Jeane said.
McArn will be paid a base salary of $365,000 annually, and her contract is set through June 30, 2028.
This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 7:01 PM.
