McAllen ISD Superintendent named state finalist for annual award
Out of more than 1,000 school districts in Texas, McAllen ISD’s Superintendent, Dr. James Ponce, is now among a select group of five in the running for the state Superintendent of the Year award. The Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) made it official on Monday. Dr. Ponce will be interviewed by a selection committee at the TASA (Texas Association of School Administrators)/TASB Convention next month in Dallas. The state winner will be announced Sept. 28. Dr. Ponce became the Regional Superintendent of the Year in early June. The state’s 20 regional winners have now been trimmed to five finalists. The state selection committee, which interviewed regional winners August 23-24 in Austin, focused on such issues as academic excellence, community engagement, career and workforce readiness, student/staff communication, advocacy, and district and community partnerships, according to a TASB news release. The selection committee cited his success with parental engagement and district…