MARFA — The Marfa ISD School Board voted to extend the contract of Interim Superintendent Arturo Alferez for the 2024-2025 school year at a special meeting held Monday.
Alferez was tapped for the district’s top leadership position after the resignation of previous Superintendent Oscar Aguero in March of 2023. School Board President Teresa Nuñez said Alferez was given a one-year contract for the 2023-2024 school year, and the board voted Monday to give him another one-year contract for the upcoming school year.
Nuñez said, in essence, the contracts Alferez has been offered are shorter because the trustees are waiting for him to complete superintendent certification courses with the Region 18 Education Service Center and pass a certification test this coming fall.
Alferez, previously a teacher and coach with the district, did not have a principal or superintendent certification when he was hired as the interim superintendent by the district. Since he entered into the role, he has been attending courses with Region 18 to receive his superintendent certification from the state.
Nuñez said his training is set to be complete in July, and he will take the final test for superintendent certification in the fall. She said the school board has a mid-year evaluation planned for Alferez in January 2025, at which point test results will be in. For now, he maintains the “interim” title, she said.
“We are continuing to monitor that,” Nuñez said. “He gave us the updates about his classes and everything, so we’ll just see how he does with the tests and everything in the fall.”
Alferez earned a salary of $85,000 for the 2023-2024 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency. Nuñez confirmed that, for now, his salary will remain the same, but the board may assess the possibility of a raise during the budgeting process this summer. Aguero, who had been the superintendent for five years, was making $116,000 when he resigned.
Nuñez said there were no other main takeaways from Alferez’s evaluation and that the school board “encouraged him to keep building the community, building the morale in the school system.”
Alferez said he is “honored and thankful” to have the opportunity to continue to serve students, parents, teachers and the Marfa community as interim superintendent. He said he is looking forward to pursuing new educational opportunities for students, collaborating with district partners, supporting district staff, reducing the district’s deficit budget and hiring for available administrative positions. He also stressed an open line of communication between parents and the community, stating that he is reachable by email, phone call or visit.
“I will continue to collaborate with parents and will encourage parents to be an integral part of their child’s education by extending an invitation for participation to the various school programs,” Alferez said. “I want to assure parents and the community that Marfa ISD will continue to strive to develop and implement effective communication practices.”
Alferez extended congratulations to the 2024 graduating class and teachers for the wrap of the school year. “To our teachers and staff, I ask you to get a well deserved summer break and hope to see you in August,” Alferez said.