Stan Rounds is no longer the interim superintendent of the Las Cruces Public Schools.
That’s because on Tuesday night the school board voted 4-1 to remove “interim” from his title. It’s a move that could eventually mean the board decides against conducting a search it previously planned for a superintendent to replace Rounds.
When board members hired Rounds in February, they planned to keep him as interim superintendent for at least a year to allow the district time to stabilize after years of turmoil, then begin the search for a permanent superintendent. Since coming on, Rounds has impressed many, and the board has been pleased with his work.
The board’s Tuesday-night decision was followed by applause and handshakes.
“This is a promotion of sorts,” Board President Bonnie Votaw said.
“I accept,” Rounds told board members.
Board member Leonel Briseño cast the only vote against removing “interim” from Rounds’ title. He told me that was because when the board originally sought applicants for the interim position, it specified that the successful candidate could not apply for the permanent position. That excluded some who were interested in the permanent job from being in the position Rounds now finds himself.
The board is bypassing its original plan, and Briseño said he wanted some acknowledgment of that fact and discussion by the board about how to address that. He said some community members had shared concern with him.
“It had nothing to do with Mr. Rounds,” Briseño said. “Personally, to me he is doing a good job.”
Briseño shook Rounds’ hand and congratulated him at the end of Tuesday’s meeting.
Votaw said if the district continues on the path Rounds has taken it down in the last three months, the board will likely drop its plan to search for another superintendent.
“Our original thought was to immediately gain stability for the school district. We’ve seen that happen and (Rounds) has been instrumental in making that change,” she said. “If progress continues, I don’t see the need to conduct a superintendent search.”
Rounds’ annual salary remains at $130,000. The only change in his benefits is the addition of five vacation days each year. The length of the contract did not change, so the board will evaluate Rounds and decide whether to conduct a search for another superintendent by March.
During his short tenure, Rounds has proposed to board members a reduction in staff over the next few years to bring the percentage of the budget spent on salaries in line with the state average. That will free up more money for construction of new schools – a challenge the district has struggled to meet in this rapidly growing area.
The district says it doesn’t plan to lay off any permanent workers, but will make reductions over the course of several years by eliminating some temporary positions and evaluating non-teaching positions when they become vacant to determine whether they are necessary.