After more than a decade leading the Cypress School District, Anne Silavs has announced she will retire as superintendent on July 1, capping a 35-year career in public education.
“It has been an honor to serve the children and families of the Cypress community,” Silavs said in a Monday announcement, expressing appreciation for district staff and the board of trustees. “Together, we accomplished important work on behalf of students.”
Silavs joined the district in 2015. During her tenure, Cypress launched districtwide music and STEM programs and established a new state preschool program to expand early learning opportunities.
The district also invested in sustained professional development focused on evidence-based instruction, contributing to increased student achievement in mathematics and English. Those gains occurred even as the district’s student population evolved, with growing numbers of socioeconomically disadvantaged students, English learners and foster youth.
District officials described the COVID-19 pandemic as a defining chapter of her leadership. Cypress offered families full-time in-person, hybrid and distance learning options to maintain continuity of instruction during shifting public health conditions.
In 2020, Silavs received the Orange County School Boards Association’s Maureen DiMarco Award. She was later named Orange County Superintendent of the Year in 2021 by the Association of California School Administrators, Region 17.
Established in 1895, the Cypress School District serves approximately 3,200 students in preschool through sixth grade in the cities of Cypress, Buena Park and La Palma.
“I leave knowing the district stands on a strong foundation built by talented staff and supported by families and a community that value education,” Silavs said.