I tell principals, I want you to treat all your kids the same way you would want a teacher to treat your son or daughter. So all the kids at Weslaco ISD are mine; so I want them treated fairly, with a lot of love, a lot of kindness, a lot of compassion.
After a 12-year hiatus, Richard Rivera is headed back to be the full-time superintendent of the Weslaco school district.
At a special meeting Wednesday, Weslaco ISD trustees named Rivera, the current interim, as the lone finalist for the position permanently.
A longtime Weslaco ISD fixture and former board trustee, Rivera rejoined the district at the beginning of this year after the contentious departure of former superintendent Dino Coronado.
Taking the role full time is a reversal for Rivera: he originally only committed to serving through June and said he would not seek the permanent position.
“But since then you all have talked to me — the staff, the community, the parents,” he said at Wednesday’s meeting. “And they feel that since I’ve left here in 2012, there’s been about six superintendents. And every time someone new comes in we have to change our ways and it’s very difficult.
“So, for this reason, I wanted to bring back stability. I feel that I have a lot to offer, a lot of experience; I love Weslaco ISD, they’ve been a family to me.”
Weslaco ISD has gone through a series of leadership struggles since the completion of a forensic audit in 2021, an audit the board once again discussed as recently as last month.
Facing a less than ideal financial situation, trustees are currently eying the prospect of a bond election next semester.
“I do want to say there’s challenges ahead that we’re going to face,” Rivera said. “Some are going to be easy decisions, some a bit more difficult. But we’re gonna take these one by one and we’re going to be successful.”
I feel that I have a lot to offer, a lot of experience; I love Weslaco ISD, they’ve been a family to me.
Rivera promised a hands-on, people-first approach that prioritizes children while being a transparent plain-dealer. He said he’ll prioritize student safety, finances and parental involvement and student success.
“I tell principals, I want you to treat all your kids the same way you would want a teacher to treat your son or daughter,” he said. “So all the kids at Weslaco ISD are mine; so I want them treated fairly, with a lot of love, a lot of kindness, a lot of compassion.”
In addition to his previous tenure at Weslaco ISD, Rivera has served as superintendent or interim superintendent at Edcouch-Elsa, Mercedes and Monte Alto school districts.
