Round Rock ISD trustees announced Steve Flores from Harlingen CISD will serve as the district's new superintendent.

"He's the one that got us all talking," trustee Terri Romere said during a special-called Aug. 23 meeting. " I got to spend the most time with him, and the constant theme was that he was a uniter. We're blessed to have him join us."

Flores currently serves as the superintendent for Harlingen CISD in the Rio Grande Valley, and the board plans to officially award him a contract after Sept. 13 following the mandatory 21-day waiting period. Flores had previously worked at Round Rock ISD for about 15 months and departed in the role of acting superintendent.

He said his first order of business will be spending time listening and learning about the district before determining a collaborative vision.

"This is a district that takes great pride in its academic student achievement, as it should," he said. "As a result, we'll heighten and compound. ... In Round Rock ISD, we are a destination district. It's a district that can continue on with the great things this administration is doing, [as well as] this board and the community."

Board President Catherine Hanna said Flores fit all the criteria that the board was looking for in a candidate. The board hired search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to assist them in finding a new superintendent. Trustees interviewed five candidates in early August and did site visits.

"[Flores] was so able to connect with every member of the board, and it was clear that he was going to help us work together as a team to be innovative and envisionary here in the district," she said.

Before announcing the new superintendent, the board thanked outgoing Superintendent Jess Chvez, who announced Jan. 30 that he would retire, for his commitment to the district.

"Your work and dedication to our community have laid a very strong foundation to our district," she said following a standing ovation from district staff, former board members, PTA and community members who had attended the meeting.

Flores and his wife, Amy, have two sons, one who is in college in Illinois and another who is a teacher in Colorado. Flores was born in San Angelo, and Amy was a teacher at Fern Bluff Elementary School in Round Rock ISD from 1999–2006.

Flores earned his superintendent's certificate from Texas Tech University and his master's and bachelor's degrees from Angelo State University. He completed his Ph.D. in educational administration at The University of Texas at Austin.