SAN BENITO — School district officials have appointed an administrator to oversee San Benito High School following the suspension of Principal Gilbert Galvan.
On Friday, officials announced Amy Rodriguez, the district’s new director of secondary instructional implementation, is handling the school’s daily operations after they placed Galvan on paid administrative leave.
Meanwhile, officials declined to disclose the reason behind Galvan’s suspension while the district’s website confirmed he was placed on paid administrative leave.
“It is important to note that the district does not comment on personnel matters,” officials stated. “Therefore, no additional information will be released regarding Mr. Galvan’s employment status.”
Experience
After working as a San Benito school district teacher and administrator, Rodriguez served with the South San Antonio school district, where Superintendent Theresa Servellon worked before returning here last March.
In San Antonio, Rodriguez worked as a principal and director of career and technical education, officials stated.
Before taking the job in San Antonio, she served with the San Benito school district, working three years as a principal, two years as the Early College Academy’s assistant principal, six years as dean of instruction and three years as a physics and biology teacher, officials stated.
Leading administrative team
At the high school, Rodriguez is working with the campus’ team of assistant principals, officials stated.
“Mrs. Rodriguez will work collaboratively with SBHS assistant principals to ensure that students and staff continue receiving the educational and administrative support, respectively, as deemed essential for the continued success of our students and district,” they stated.
The high school’s administrative team includes Assistant Principal Carrie Reyes, who oversees 10th-grade students; Assistant Principal Eddie Abrego, who works with 11th-grade students; and Assistant Principal Gabriel Trevino, who oversees the 12th grade, the district’s website states.
Meanwhile, Assistant Principal Lucas Gomez is overseeing special education while Assistant Principal Rebecca Martinez works with the counseling department, the website states.
The school’s administrative team includes Michael Abeyta, who serves as dean of instruction, also working as the campus’ testing coordinator and After School Program coordinator while overseeing a credit recovery program and a technology program, the website states.
Suspension fuels wide speculation
At the school district, officials are remaining mum regarding the reason behind Galvan’s suspension.
Across the community, the suspension of the longtime district administrator who had previously served as the city’s mayor has become the subject of widespread speculation.
On social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, parents and students are churning a range of rumors.
Climbing the ranks
In June, Servellon, then serving as interim superintendent, reassigned Galvan from his job as Veterans Memorial Academy’s principal to principal of San Benito High School amid her reassignment of several top administrators.
“Over the past several weeks, interim Superintendent Theresa Servellon has closely examined the district’s overall structure and has identified opportunities for the district to become more efficient and effective in response to student needs,” district spokeswoman Isabel Gonzalez stated at the time. “As part of the united efforts and work in moving the San Benito CISD towards improved student outcomes, it was deemed necessary to align structures and efficient processes. In doing so, leadership changes were carefully considered to expand student services and improve student achievement district-wide.”
Currently, Galvan serves as president of the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals.
Years before taking the job as Veterans Memorial Academy’s principal, Galvan was working his way up as an administrator, serving as principal of Ed Downs Elementary School before going on to Frank Roberts Elementary.
Before returning to the school district, he had served as principal of Raymondville High School before working as principal at L.C. Smith Elementary School.
Background
Before taking a job with the Raymondville school district, Galvan had worked as a San Benito school teacher, also serving as the Texas Classroom Teachers Association’s president.
In 2009, he ran for the San Benito school board’s Place 1 seat in an election in which incumbent Robert Tumberlinson defeated him by an 11-vote margin.
While working as a San Benito teacher, Galvan entered politics in 1986, when he won election to a city commission seat.
Two years later, he was elected the city’s mayor.
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