Dr. Myrna Rivera Coté figured she would retire as superintendent of the Culver City Unified School District.

Headhunters on the recruiting trail — and the money that followed — ultimately convinced her to think otherwise.

Coté informed the CCUSD Board of Education on Friday, May 28 that she is stepping down as superintendent after 3 ½ years at the head of the class in favor of the same position with the El Rancho Unified School District, which serves the city of Pico Rivera in southeastern Los Angeles County. Coté’s final day on the CCUSD payroll will be June 30, as she is scheduled to start her new job July 1.

“I’m very, very proud of what’s been done in the last 3 ½ years,” said Coté in a telephone interview with the News on Wednesday, June 2, less than an hour after her decision was made public by the district. “The district’s in good shape, and it’s an opportunity to do the same work closer to home. …

“I love this district and I love this community. I’ve never worked in a community as supportive as this one.”

It was that support — including the passage last November of the Measure EE parcel tax by city voters — that helped Coté, a longtime administrator who previously worked in Long Beach, Alhambra and the Los Angeles Unified School District, formulate a belief that CCUSD would be the final stop on her education journey.

However, with education funding in flux throughout the state, numerous -superintendents have been on the move in recent months, either relocating for greener pastures or opting for retirement. That, in turn, has meant several recruiting firms out on the trail looking for replacements, which is how Coté and El Rancho became acquainted.

“I was recruited,” said Coté, stressing that she was happy at CCUSD and not looking for a new job. “When you’ve been a superintendent a long time, and jobs open … I was called by a couple of headhunters.”

It turns out Coté liked what they had to say. The move to El Rancho will mean an increase in compensation, and a shorter commute for the Huntington Beach resident.

“It’s closer to home. I have some family issues. … And it’s a significant increase in compensation,” Coté said.

She also dispelled rumors she is leaving because of a rift with the CCUSD Board of Education, which seated three new members in December.

“When the board is brand new, it takes times for everyone to understand the dynamics of being the Board of Education and working things through and working collaboratively,” said Coté, adding that she was encouraged by a recent workshop with board members and that she was looking forward to more such gatherings. “It wasn’t the board.  The primary reason really was being closer to home and the increased compensation.”

Coté’s decision to leave makes her the third CCUSD administrator to unveil plans to leave the district in the past four months. Former Assistant Superintendent David El-Fattal left in March for a position at Cerritos College, and Assistant Superintendent Patricia Jaffe has already announced her retirement.

CCUSD Board President Steven Gourley drew upon the words of Culver City Federation of Teachers President David Mielke when asked how the district will address the challenge of so much change at the top.

“When you’re facing a crisis, it opens the door for a new opportunity,” Gourley said. “People have to pull together, and as they say in baseball, they have to give us their best season. … I think there’s a good deal of depth in those particulars (the remaining administrators) and institutional knowledge. So that makes me feel good.”

The CCUSD board was originally slated to meet Monday, June 7 to conduct Coté’s yearly evaluation. Instead, Gourley hopes to use that meeting as a jumping-off point for the district’s own recruiting process in finding a new boss, while the board must also consider whether to bring aboard an interim superintendent for the three-to-four-month window it will likely take to target and hire a full-time replacement.

“I’ve noticed school districts, as well as other government entities, move more slowly than they need to,” Gourley said. “I’m fairly certain I will have absolute support in moving this process along as quickly as possible. …

“It’s all going to reflect back on how quickly and competently we were able to act.”