Austin ISD superintendent lone finalist for top job with Dallas ISD

DALLAS (KXAN) — Austin Independent School District superintendent Dr. Stephanie Elizalde has been named as the lone finalist in Dallas ISD’s search for a new superintendent.

Elizalde has been with AISD since August 2020. Prior to joining, she worked for Dallas ISD as the chief of school leadership.

In a press release sent on Wednesday evening, Dallas ISD said that the state requires a 21-day review period for the superintendent position.

After those three weeks, trustees are expected to offer Elizalde a contract for employment.

AISD Board of Trustees President Geronimo Rodriguez issued a statement via AISD’s Twitter account responding to the news.

“Thank you to Dr. Elizalde for her steadfast leadership through what has been an unprecedented and challenging two years,” the statement said. “Her commitment to our AISD mission allowed our community to safely move through the pandemic and stay laser-focused on academic achievement.”

If confirmed by trustees, she’d be the second woman to serve as superintendent in the district’s history. The current superintendent at Dallas ISD, Michael Hinojosa, is leaving the district after 13 years at the end of the year.

“We’re really happy that Dr. Elizalde has a job she really wants to have,” Zarifis said. “We think it’s good for both, it’s a win-win. She got a job she wanted and I think we’re going to be able to move forward with the employees in a different fashion.”

Zarifis said the union wants the next superintendent to “really, truly believe in public education.”

“Not reform-minded, not charters … we want someone who really believes in public ed, and believes in the workers as partners in figuring how great our district can be,” Zarifis said.

When hired to take over at AISD, Rodriguez told KXAN he was impressed with Elizalde’s “understanding of both the legislative process and public school finance.”

Amid a substitute teacher shortage in AISD due to pandemic-related issues, Elizalde helped fill in to keep classes running.

In April, AISD said it would eliminate more than 600 positions within the district, but assured KXAN that no teacher would be laid off as a result of what officials described as “leveling.” More than half the jobs that were axed came from within AISD’s central office, officials said. The majority of the cuts, AISD said, were made by not filling vacant positions which in turn allowed AISD to give some pay raises.