Dr. Hilda Maldonado took the helm of Santa Barbara Unified School District on July 1, 2020, becoming the second female – and first Latina – to serve as Superintendent in the district’s history. Construction on SB Unified’s Solar Panel project began in 2021. Once completed, 14 solar arrays with six microgrids will have been installed throughout the district. The project could provide up to 98% of power needs and could be as high as 100% once secondary schools retrofit LED lighting.