The leader of the Corona-Norco school district has announced his retirement after five years in the post.

Superintendent Sam Buenrostro will retire July 1.

The Corona-Norco Unified School District is doing an internal search for a new superintendent. The application period closed April 4, and the position will be filled by July 2, a district news release states.

Buenrostro was named superintendent in October 2020 and took over for Michael Lin, who led the district for eight years.

Buenrostro previously held several roles in the district over 21 years and was deputy superintendent for the Instructional Support Department at the time of his appointment to the top job.

Buenrostro also served as the district’s deputy superintendent for human resources from 2012 to 2016 and was an assistant principal and principal at Centennial High School in Corona.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Superintendent of CNUSD,” Buenrostro said in a news release. “This district is filled with dedicated educators, committed staff, passionate students, and a community that truly values education. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have led alongside such incredible individuals.”

Buenrostro was one of three Inland Empire superintendents to win the California School Public Relations Association Superintendent to Watch in 2024.