A familiar face will take the reins of San Marcos CISD after the board voted 4-3 on Jan. 19 to name an interim superintendent. The board named current Superintendent Mark Eads the interim leader of the district until a full-time replacement can be found. Eads announced in September that he would be “resigning from public education” effective Jan. 31. The board interviewed multiple candidates for the job, including a few former San Marcos CISD superintendents. San Marcos CISD Superintendent Mark Eads, who has been with the district since May 2011, plans to resign from public education on January 31. He will remain with the district as interim superintendent until a permanent replacement is found.[/caption] Trustees John Crowley, Anne Halsey, Kathy Hansen and Margie Villalpando voted in favor of having Eads fill the interim position. Trustees Miguel Arredondo, Lupe Costilla and John McGlothlin voted against the move. Eads originally planned to contend for the interim position but withdrew his name from consideration in December. “I was approached by some of the trustees and they asked me if I would reconsider and stay on board,” Eads said. “I told them I’d be glad to do that during the transition. Originally that was my intent, to be here until a permanent came in, so [remaining on as the interim superintendent] was going back and honoring what I thought we were originally going to do.” Eads’ pay and benefits will remain the same. Eads makes $201,164.86 annually. He will work on a month-to-month basis. McGlothlin said he was surprised by the move and was not aware Eads had put his name back in consideration. “That was not on my radar,” McGlothlin said. “I did not know he was a candidate. The last thing he had told me directly was that he had sent an email about how he was going to go in other directions. So I was surprised.” McGlothlin said he is glad the board is done with the interim selection process, which he called “divisive” and “a messy process.” “It distracts us from where our focus should be: on student achievement,” he said. “I’m happy to at least be able to get back on the path, I guess you might say.” McGlothlin said he has full faith Eads is capable of leading the district to improved academic success—citing his vote in the summer to extend Eads’ contract and increase his salary—and he hopes the board will unite around Eads. With the interim superintendent decided, the district and board will turn its focus to finding a permanent replacement. Superintendent search firm JG Consulting has been contracted to manage the search. The district and JG Consulting will begin hosting public meetings to receive stakeholder input and development a candidate profile that will help determine the next superintendent.