Navarro ISD launches search for new district leader
(Geronimo) — The Navarro ISD has chosen to move forward with an official search for its next school superintendent. On Monday, the Navarro ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the launch of a superintendent search process. That move comes in response to the district’s other decision to return current Acting Superintendent Luke Morales to his role as Deputy Superintendent.
Navarro Board President Renee Rehfeld says the board just felt it was time that the district move in a new direction.
“The school board took action to open search for superintend. Last summer, we got Mr. Morales as the acting superintendent and gave him some specific goals and initiatives to work on and at this time, we feel like it’s the best interest of the district of us to move forward with opening a search, to look for experience in the challenges that we are currently facing with the growth, the bond, curriculum and so forth,” said Rehfeld.
Rehfeld says the plan is for Morales to continue the role of acting superintendent until some assistance is received from the outside.
“For right now, he is still acting superintendent. We also took action to bring in a part-time experienced superintendent that would help Mr. Morales and our goal would be to continue to have him work with the district to continue as the deputy superintendent and we know how valuable he is to not only the Navarro District but also the community and so our goal would be to have this experienced superintentht that only does interim work come in and help with some of the areas where we need more knowledge and experience,” said Rehfeld.
Morales was initially put into the position after the resignation of former School Superintendent Wendi Russell in March of 2022.
Helping the district with its search will be consultant Walsh Gallegoes PC. Rehfeld says the criteria of what they are looking for has already been submitted. She says now, they await the process.
“So, our goal is for this search to get launched probably today or tomorrow quite frankly and it will be out and posted for a month and then the applications will come in and our goal is that we will do interviews and we will have this whole timeline posted on the website probably I’m hoping this week. We will actually go through all of the applicants I think as early as March 5. That will be the first time to see actually who has applied but our goal will be to have a finalist named I believe in April,” said Rehfeld.
Despite the leadership changes, Rehfeld says the school board is committed to ensuring the very best for its students.
“I think it’s important to know that the school board works hard to make the best decisions possible for the students the Navarro School District and we want Mr.Morales and this part-time superintendent to work in tandem to compliment each other, to have experience and knowledge and the strengths that hopefully both of them will bring to the district to put us in a good position for whoever the next superintendent is going to be to take over and lead our district forward,” said Rehfeld.
District officials say although they have zeroed in on a potential part-time superintendent, that candidate will still have to come before the board for final approval.
