Longtime Sunnyside superintendent Bonds dies at 92
When Sunnyside School superintendent Herb Bonds took a chance and hired 18-year-old Rich Miranda in 1988, Miranda said he was just as surprised as anyone.
And Miranda, who’s still at Sunnyside, said Bonds became “kind of a father figure away from home.” Miranda remembered Bonds as a downto-earth person who could relate to anyone.
Bonds, the longtime superintendent of the rural K-8 elementary school west of Strathmore, died on Friday at the age of 92. He served as Sunnyside’s superintendent from 1974-1991.
“He was the one who hired me at Sunnyside at a very young age,” said Miranda, who’s now in charge of student services at the school, overseeing such areas as athletics and transportation.
“He would always give me good advice advice about everything, just life,” said Miranda, adding he remembers Bonds talking about how he competed as a runner at San Jose State. “I’m thankful for what he did for me.
“He always had time to talk to you, talk to students. He was just a down-to-earth guy that could relate to people.”
And as superintendent, Miranda said about Bonds, “he was a person who could get things done.”
Of course Miranda has gone on to a successful run as Strathmore High’s girls basketball coach, recently leading the Spartans to the Southern State 5-AA title. Miranda admitted about eventually become Strahmore’s
coach, “I fell into it.”
It was Bonds who gave Miranda his start at Sunnyside where he developed many of the players who have played for him at Strathmore. “You know that you’re going to be our coach here at Sunnyside,” said Miranda about what Bonds told him.
Current Sunnyside superintendent Steve Tsuboi was a student at Sunnyside when Bonds was superintendent.
“I stayed in contact with him up until the time I was a teacher,” Tsuboi said. Tsuboi added Bonds helped him through the process of earning his teaching credential. “I always appreciated that he was willing to do that,” Tsuboi said.
“The thing that I remember about him is he made surer the students got all the opportunities the could possibly get.”
Tsuboi said he learned from that example set by Bonds when it comes to his service now as Sunnyside’s superintendent. “I think it’s just always keeping in mind the students come first,” said Tsuboi about what he learned from Bonds.
Like Bonds, Tsuboi said he works to make sure “the students have access to opportunities in a small, rural community.”
He added Bonds was able to lead Sunnyside through a transformational time during the 70s and 80s. “There was a lot of changes going on,” Tsuboi said.
And Tsuboi said Bonds led by example. “He was very hands-on, very active,” he said. “He was out there doing it with everyone.”
Bonds was also extensively involved in community service and served his country as he was a Korean War veteran. Bonds also served on the Porterville City Council in the 1980s and later served on the Kern Community College District Board as well.