Dr. Steve Martinez

Dr. Steve Martinez became Kernville Union School District’s new superintendent on July 1,
2019. Kernville Union School District servers nearly 1,000 pre-school through eighth grade
students at 4 school sites and an online environmental academy, KREM.
Dr. Martinez has both public school district and charter school experience in his 17 years
working in California public schools. He most recently served as the Executive Director of
Ridgecrest Charter School and prior to Ridgecrest served as the Superintendent/Principal of
Hughes-Elizabeth Lakes Union School District in Los Angeles County.
Serving as Superintendent is a return for Dr. Martinez to the Kernville Union School District
where he previously served as principals of Wallace and Kernville Elementary Schools. He
previously worked as an assistant principal in the Hillsborough City School District and taught
history-social studies, physical education, math, and intervention at the middle school level.
Dr. Martinez earned his bachelor of arts in political science from the University of California,
Santa Barbara and began his career working, and after some work in politics and with the Braille
Institute, he decided to follow his career goal of teaching. Dr. Martinez earned his teaching
credentials and his master of arts in curriculum and instruction and master of arts in education
leadership from California State University, Bakersfield. He recently earned his Doctorate in
education from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education.
Dr. Martinez is a member of the Association of California School Administrators since 2011 and
was honored to be part of Leadership Ridgecrest’s inaugural class in 2018.
Dr. Martinez is an avid Dodgers and baseball fan and enjoys spending time with his family and
traveling.