Mercedes ISD interim superintendent resigns

Richard Rivera

Mercedes ISD Interim Superintendent Richard Rivera informed the district’s board via email Monday that he is resigning, a move precipitated by a majority of trustees snubbing him for the post of permanent superintendent last week.

On Thursday the board voted 4-3 against naming Rivera lone finalist for the permanent superintendent position, leaving him surprised and ambiguous about his future with the district.

Board President Oscar Hernandez confirmed that Rivera will resign Wednesday.

“I wish him the best,” Hernandez said.

Rivera said Monday he interpreted that vote as a loss of board support.

“That’s what it was, a vote of no confidence,” he said.
The Mercedes board is scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss its superintendent hiring process.

Two trustees who voted against naming Rivera lone finalist — Lucy Delgado and Eddie Howell Jr. — also asked for the board to evaluate him during Tuesday’s meeting.

Rivera said he hasn’t been evaluated since he’s been with the district and doesn’t know what that agenda item is about.

Delgado described evaluations as customary board business. Why do one now?

“Why not now?” she said. “We have new trustees coming in and it’s a good discussion to have now with our new trustees and our new superintendent.”

Howell declined to say what motivated him to ask for the evaluation, but did, however, speculate candidly on Rivera’s impending resignation, saying he wished the board had received more notice.

“I’m a little perturbed. It wasn’t that long ago that he gave the district a rah-rah speech, that he was happy to be back in Mercedes,” Howell said. “I don’t know, I honestly don’t know. Heavy is the crown that comes with that job…there’s a lot of pressure. Maybe it’s the pressure that got to him, maybe he’s greedy. I couldn’t tell you.”

Rivera disputed that greed played a role in his resignation. He said he agreed to take former superintendent Carolyn Mendiola’s $160,000 salary — a more than $40,000 cut in pay from his most recent post at Edcouch-Elsa ISD — largely as a courtesy to the board.

Rivera said he would have stayed at that pay through his two-year contract, although he may have negotiated a different salary for the permanent position.

“That’s low, very low, for a 5-A school,” Rivera said of his interim salary.

Rivera’s departure is the latest twist in the district’s decidedly unconventional search for a superintendent.

In June, the board named Rivera interim superintendent after placing Mendiola on leave after her arrest on charges she disputes.

Rivera largely focused on financial and safety reforms at the district, efforts to which the board seemed receptive.

In August, the board suspended its superintendent search and signed a two-year deal to keep Rivera on as interim.

November elections saw three new trustees join the board, along with the fairly discrete resumption of the district’s superintendent search.

There had been no obvious friction between Rivera and trustees until Thursday’s meeting, and he seemed the likely choice for the permanent spot. The board did not discuss naming any other candidates or a lone finalist, and representatives have declined to comment on whether anyone else applied for the job.

Right down the road, Weslaco ISD will discuss the resignation of its superintendent Tuesday evening after less than a year on the job.

Rivera, a former Weslaco superintendent and board trustee, dispelled rumors that turmoil in that district is prompting his departure from Mercedes.

“Let me just put it this way, Weslaco right now, as far as I know, they have their own superintendent. I’m not gonna go there and get involved in something where there’s no job there yet,” he said.


Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comment from Trustee Lucy Delgado.