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The Mercedes Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 4-2 Wednesday to name Interim Superintendent Maria J. Chavez as the lone finalist for the permanent spot.
The meeting was not broadcast online, as Mercedes board meetings generally are.
It marks the potential end to a series of lengthy board talks over who should be the district’s next superintendent that have taken place over the past several months.
Trustees had a difficult time settling on a candidate for the post, voting to reopen applications for the gig earlier this month after failing to name a lone finalist.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of our new superintendent, Mrs. Maria Chavez…” Board President Oscar Hernandez wrote in a statement. “After an extensive search and careful consideration, we believe that Mrs. Chavez is the ideal candidate to lead our school district into the future. Her wealth of experience, dedication to education, and visionary leadership make her a perfect fit for Mercedes ISD. We welcome Mrs. Maria Chavez.”
Hernandez told The Monitor that trustees Orlando Rodriguez and Pete Martinez voted against naming Chavez as the lone finalist, while Marcos Garcia did not attend the meeting.
The board named Chavez, a retired Santa Maria ISD superintendent, interim in December after the departure of previous interim Richard Rivera.
Rivera took over the district last summer, after former superintendent Carolyn Mendiola’s arrest on charges she denies and subsequent departure from the district.
Chavez could not be reached for comment Thursday, though her office said the district was planning to make a formal announcement.
