Photo by Kelli WeldonAt a news conference Dec. 3, Austin ISD Interim Superintendent Paul Cruz says he is honored to have the opportunity to be considered as a candidate for superintendent.
Two Austin ISD superintendent candidates have withdrawn from consideration, making interim Superintendent Paul Cruz the only candidate, AISD announced Dec. 10.
On Dec. 8 the AISD board of trustees voted to change the school district's process to allow Cruz to be considered, citing requests from community members to keep him in mind for the role. After hearing concerns from members of the community about canceling a previously scheduled public forum, trustees also voted to invite the district's top three superintendent candidates to answer community members' questions as part of a new public forum Dec. 13. Board President Vincent Torres said the district would extend an invitation to Cruz to take part but did not identify the other two candidates in the running.
Ray and Associates, the executive search firm AISD hired to help conduct the superintendent search, informed the board that the other two candidates have declined to participate further in the search process and decided to withdraw from consideration for the job.
"When we selected the three candidates our intent in the bar, if you will, that we have set was whoever we [chose had to] be candidates that we as a board felt we could support ... as superintendent. We're now down to one. We didn't expect it to turn out that way, but we certainly feel that Dr. Cruz is capable of being the superintendent, and so I think that the likelihood that the board will name him as a sole finalist is pretty is pretty high," Torres said, noting the board is still slated to announce the finalist Dec. 15.
