By ARABELLA SERRATA
editor@sbnewspaper.com
The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District (SBCISD) school board of trustees held a special meeting on Sunday, Jul. 14, 2024, at 1:03 p.m., with Alfredo Perez, current Acting Superintendent of Schools, absent.
The meeting promptly entered into a closed session without public comments. The closed session covered item 2.1, board interview and discussion of superintendent candidates, and item 2.2, discussion and consideration of the superintendent search process.
The meeting entered an open session and the Board discussed item 3.1, discussion and possible action on the superintendent search process. No action was taken when the meeting returned to open session for the superintendent search process. The meeting adjourned at 5 p.m.
SBCISD held another special meeting on Monday, Jul. 17 at 4:30 p.m. Dr. Ariel Cruz-Vela, Place 1 SBCISD board member, and Perez was absent from the meeting.
Rudy Corona, Board Secretary, reviewed the public comment agenda and briefly covered the guidelines for public comments. A citizen of San Benito made a public comment regarding item 2.2, discussion and consideration of the superintendent search process. She praised them for their transparency and collaboration with the community when searching for a superintendent of schools. She called the board “absolutely amazing and incredible” for their thoroughness in their search.
The meeting went into closed executive session for items 2.1, board interview and discussion of superintendent candidates, and 2.2, discussion and consideration of the superintendent search process at 4:37 p.m.
The meeting reconvened into open session at 7:31 p.m. and the Board agreed to take no action on item 3.1, discussion and possible action on the superintendent search process. The meeting adjourned at 7:31 p.m.
As previously reported, earlier this month, the Board began reviewing 27 candidates for the District’s top job after the Texas Association of School Boards released their applications to the board.
At the time, officials declined to disclose whether Acting Superintendent Fred Perez, who could not be reached for comment while on vacation, had applied for the job, as the board expected to name its finalist for the post within about two weeks, board President Orlando Lopez said.
In May, the school board acquired the Texas Association of School Boards’ Executive Search Services to help conduct a state-wide search for candidates, paying the agency $10,500.
As part of the search process, officials conducted a survey, posting a link on the district’s social media channels while emailing parents and staff, Cruz-Vela said at the time.
”The SBCISD Board of Trustees wanted to include the San Benito community in the search for the next superintendent,” she said. “The survey asked several questions including what are some of the strengths of the district, some of the challenges and issues, and what are the professional and personal characteristics that the board should look for in the next superintendent.”
The SBCISD has been without a permanent superintendent since it separated with then Superintendent of Schools Theresa Servellon over political differences.
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