The San Marcos CISD board of trustees unanimously approved a contract for Michael A. Cardona to take over as superintendent of the district beginning June 1.

“It’s a great district, so I’m excited to be part of the team,” Cardona said. “We’ll do a lot of growing together, a lot of learning together, a lot of crying together, I’m sure. We’re going to become a model district in this state and for this nation.”

According to the contract, Cardona will be paid $209,000 for each of the contract’s three years. The district will also provide Cardona with a one-time moving reimbursement of $6,000 to cover the cost of moving to Central Texas.

Cardona has been serving as chief school officer with Houston ISD since 2012. In that capacity he has overseen 42,000 students at 36 middle and high schools as well as 15 charter schools, according to an SMCISD news release.

“I appreciate this board giving me the opportunity,” he said. “Being an Aggie I’m very loyal, and I promise you I will be loyal to this board, and I will work my tail off for this board. We’re going to work together, and we’re going to do great things.”

Cardona previously served as a principal and assistant principal with North East ISD in San Antonio.

The district also thanked Assistant Superintendent Karen Griffith for serving as interim Superintendent for three weeks.

The superintendent position came open when former superintendent Mark Eads announced in September in an email to trustees that he was “resigning from public education.” Eads was named the lone finalist for superintendent of Southside ISD in San Antonio in April, and his last day with San Marcos CISD was May 2.