Roma Independent School District Superintendent Carlos Guzman announced his retirement Tuesday, largely attributing the decision to the pandemic.
A release from the district says Guzman’s retirement will be effective on June 30, after more than three decades with the district, eight of which were at the helm.
Guzman wrote, in short, that the pandemic made him realize that life’s short.
“As I watched friends slip away from us very unexpectedly, I realized that while I have enjoyed every second of being your superintendent, I have missed some of my life too – special moments with my children, and helping my parents through their golden years,” he wrote. “So, I have decided it’s time for me to grasp the chance to spend precious moments with my family because you never know what lies ahead.”
According to the district, Guzman has raised the district’s state and national profile during his tenure, earning recognitions that include two U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools, H-E-B’s Excellence in Education Small School District of the Year and being named a Texas Honor Roll District.
In 2019 Guzman was named the Region 1 Regional Superintendent of the Year, and in 2016 he was named to the Texas Education Agency’s Rural School Support Task Force. He even got to see the district’s very own Mariachi Nuevo Santander showcased as part of President Joe Biden’s inauguration activities.
“I can’t say this is easy for me in any way” Guzman wrote. “I was raised right here in Roma, and with the exception of the few years I went away to college, I’ve known little else than studying at or working for the betterment of The Gladiator Nation. Roma ISD has been my life and livelihood for almost every day of my existence, and leaving you is like leaving part of my soul behind. It will be one of the hardest things I ever have to do – walking out of my office for the last time at the end of June. But, I can leave knowing I have done my very best to serve, lead and love our district with everything I’ve got.”
Guzman concluded by thanking board members he’s worked with over the years, saying that he would continue to be in the district’s corner.
“I will continue to be your avid, vocal supporter in everything you hope to accomplish,” he wrote “I will be there in the stands wishing you the best, praying for your courage as you face the obstacles of the future, and cheering you on in your many accomplishments to come. I end saying thank you for making these past eight years some of the best and most memorable of my life, and allowing me to serve our community with pride alongside you.”
According to the district, its board will immediately begin the search for a new superintendent and try to hire one prior to Guzman’s departure.
