Mercedes school district names new superintendent

MERCEDES — The school board Monday night approved Beto Gonzalez, former deputy superintendent of Brownsville schools, as the new superintendent of the Mercedes Independent School District.

Gonzalez replaces Walter Watson, who will reassume his position with the district as its federal programs director.

"I think he's going to be something really good for the district and I'm really looking forward to working with him," Watson said.

Gonzalez brings experience overseeing larger school districts. He will oversee school operations for more than 5,000 students inMercedes, compared with the 48,000-plus enrolled in Brownsville schools, according to the Texas Education Agency. Gonzalez alsoserved as chief executive officer of the Temple school district of about 8,000 students from 2006 to 2007.

"It is definitely a high honor and a privilege to receive the vote of confidence from the board," he said referring to his new post at Mercedes.

"I'm really looking forward to exerting all my efforts toward the betterment of the district."

Gonzalez was selected for the position from 28 candidates, Mercedes' school board President Benjamin F. Castillo said.

"He had the credentials," Castillo said of Gonzalez. "The board all believed that he was the caliber of person Mercedes needed.

"We were fortunate this time around to have very good candidates apply for superintendent and it was a very tough decision."

Gonzalez becomes the district's fourth superintendent in about five years.

Gonzalez said he now looks forward to restructuring the school's educational practices "from the bottom up."

"I'm looking forward to aligning our school's human and fiscal resources toward the specific needs of our students," he said. "I'm looking toward identifying the needs of specific low-performing students at the elementary, middle and high school level.

"I'm looking at ... standardizing a district-wide reading program and starting from the bottom up," he said.