SAN BENITO — After nearly five years on the job, Superintendent Nate Carman is planning to resign to take a job with a bigger school district.
The Socorro, N.M., school board has named Carman its lone finalist for its superintendent’s job, opening a state-required 21-day waiting period before voting on his contract with the border district whose student enrollment stands at nearly 50,000.
Now, board members are planning to launch a search for the district’s next superintendent.
In August 2017, San Benito’s previous school board hired Carman, who negotiated a four-year contract paying $202,776 a year in 2019 before an election shifted the board’s balance of power.
Under a new clause, the contract would have paid Carman a “lump sum,” including his annual $202,776 salary, $1,800 monthly stipend and other benefits, if he was fired without cause.
While Carman continued to score high marks on the school board’s annual job evaluations, last year the board’s new majority cut into his spending and hiring powers as part of a move to better control operations.
‘Innovative leader, mentor’
On Monday, board members Orlando Lopez and Ariel Cruz described Carman as an innovative leader who helped the district boost the state’s student achievement ranking.
“The guy’s done a tremendous job and succeeded in all facets of the school district,” Lopez, who served on the board which hired Carman, said. “He exceeded our expectations. Our school district is a nationally recognized school district because of the accomplishments of Dr. Carman and our financials are the healthiest they’ve been in a long time. Dr. Carman brought much needed stability to our school district, and even through the turmoil of the political landscape, Dr. Carman still managed four out of five (points) in his evaluations and successfully managed to navigate San Benito through COVID.”
Meanwhile, Cruz described him as “a great leader, a pillar of wisdom and a mentor to many.”
“I definitely feel Dr. Carman represented progress — someone who truly looked out for the future of San Benito,” she said.
Cruz: Board majority forced Carman out
Meanwhile, Cruz blamed the board’s new majority for leading Carman to take another job.
“It is unfortunate that the new board majority who preached transparency would undermine him at every turn by taking away his spending power, taking control of hiring practices and essentially micromanaging day-to-day operations,” she stated. “This toxic work environment forced him to look elsewhere.”
Cruz said the board’s majority turned on Carman after he fired some of the district’s directors.
“I know he’s been under fire because he got rid of certain directors,” she said. “As a board, we looked at the grievance files and everything was done by the book.”
Majority members stand by steps to control operations
However, board President Ramiro Moreno stated the board’s majority took steps to better control spending and hiring in response to constituents call for “transparency.”
“When the current board assumed office in May of 2021, the board had no ability to pre-approve any expense below $50,000 in value — the maximum expenditure allowable under Texas law without the use of a formal procurement process,” he stated.
“As a result of the changes to the board policy — a step that has also been taken by several other districts in the RGV — our constituents now have greater access to information regarding large expenses. The board also voted to enhance the district’s hiring practices by allowing the board a limited opportunity to evaluate new hiring recommendations. That change was consistent with Texas law and the Texas Education Code, which states that the board is the entity that approves the administration’s hiring recommendations unless the board makes a discretionary decision to delegate that authority to the superintendent.”
Moreno denied claims of micromanagement of district operations.
“Contrary to minority board member comments to the media regarding micromanaging, these much needed legal changes recommended and approved by the current board provide our constituents the transparency they are entitled to as taxpayers,” he stated.
Meanwhile, board member Janie Lopez said the board’s majority took steps to better control spending and hiring to become more “fiscally responsible to taxpayers.”
“The decisions that we made have been standard — normal. We are promoting transparency to our community members and any decisions we made have been consistent with Texas law and the Texas Education Code and we are fiscally responsible to our taxpayers,” she said. “We will start a beginning with our amazing staff. We will continue to provide quality programs for the students.”
Search firm vs. internal search
Board members are preparing to launch a search for the district’s next superintendent, Moreno stated.
“The district will work on obtaining the best candidate to serve as SBCISD’s new superintendent of schools,” he stated. “My goal as board president is to collaboratively work with our board in obtaining a dedicated leader to continue SBCISD’s long history of achievements and guide our ‘gold standard’ district to new heights. The board will be tasked with prioritizing candidates that will put our students and the educational process first and who will help promote a positive and professional environment at SBCISD.”
Meanwhile, Cruz and Orlando Lopez are calling on board members to hire a firm to conduct the search.
“I want to make sure we hire a reputable firm to search for a superintendent rather than have an internal selection process,” Cruz said, adding she was looking for “an experienced leader, someone who can handle a big 6-A school district, someone’s that looking for innovation in public education and willing to mentor teachers and administrators.”
Carman recounts accomplishments
In nearly five years as the district’s top administrator, Carman helped boost student test scores, grew the district’s finances, helped the district pump up its report card grade from 75 to 85 and led a $40 million bond-funded project to build the district’s first performing arts theater and aquatics center, board members said.
“I’m proud of several accomplishments during my tenure with San Benito CISD: Improved student achievement, improved finances, numerous facility upgrades, the bond program to benefit generations of SBCISD students, improved employee benefits and stability following years of turmoil,” he stated. “However, I am most proud of having worked with some of the most incredible educators I have had the honor to know. I am leaving behind a great team with excellent systems in place and strongly believe that SBCISD and its students will continue to thrive.”
“SBCISD’s dedicated employees have been on the frontlines throughout the course of a life-changing COVID pandemic, helping keep our schools safe and our students learning. It has been an honor to see and be a part of that unified effort. As a team, we have risen above the temporary setbacks of the ongoing health pandemic and continue to prepare each student to successfully meet the challenges of our ever-changing society.”
