A Corona-Norco schools administrator has been named the superintendent of neighboring Alvord school district.

Reginald Thompkins will take over the Alvord Unified School District on May 1 after serving as assistant superintendent of instructional support for the Corona-Norco Unified School District, Riverside County’s largest school district.

Thompkins has more than 25 years in public education, “marked by an unwavering dedication to student achievement and educational excellence,” an Alvord news release said.

He was appointed by the school board Thursday, April 17, and will earn a salary of $315,000.

He has been a teacher in the Inland Empire and a high school assistant principal and principal in addition to holding school district administrative posts, the release said. Thompkins also served as an assistant superintendent in the Orange Unified School District and was deputy and acting superintendent of the Oceanside Unified School District in San Diego County.

Thompkins, the release said, is “deeply committed to putting students first and creating inclusive, forward-thinking learning environments.”

He will replace Resma Byrne, who was let go by the Alvord school board in late March and departed the district less than one year after being promoted to superintendent.

Byrne, who had been an Alvord assistant superintendent, replaced Allan Mucerino as the district’s schools chief in July.

Thompkins’ hiring comes after Corona-Norco Unified promoted Deputy Superintendent Dalia GadElMawla to lead the district. The Riverside Unified School District also is seeking a new schools chief to replace the retiring Renee Hill.

Lisa Simon, a retired Corona-Norco schools administrator, was named by the school board March 24 as interim Alvord superintendent. However, Simon did not take the role, Anabel Nuñez, executive assistant to the superintendent, said in a Tuesday email. Alvord Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Nicholas Hilton is leading the district until Thompkins’ arrival, Nuñez said.

Alvord has campuses in western Riverside, in nearby unincorporated areas and a piece of northeast Corona. The district, headquartered in Corona, has about 17,500 students.