Arlington Independent School District Superintendent Marcelo Cavazos announced Thursday he is retiring as of August 31, 2023, making him the latest in a string of superintendents across Texas to announce their resignation or retirement.
Cavazos has served as superintendent since 2012. His announcement comes just seven weeks after he signed a new five-year contract with the district that runs through 2027.
The contract pays Cavazos a base salary of $376,061, plus annual “longevity payments” intended to “encourage continuity of leadership in the District.”
The first of these payments kicked in December 31, 2022—less than a month after the contract was signed—earning Cavazos a 13 percent monthly bonus. By the time he retires, that bonus will total more than $32,000.
Cavazos has worked in Arlington ISD since 1999, starting as an associate superintendent and gradually rising through the administrative ranks.
He touts passing a tax increase and bond packages totaling $1.6 billion among his successes as superintendent.
No reason was given for his departure.
Parents and teachers in the district tell Texas Scorecard that increasing incidents of on-campus violence between students and against staff have stressed district administrators.
Arlington ISD is located in North Texas’ Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.
According to Texas Education Agency data, almost 73 percent of the district’s 55,000 students are considered economically disadvantaged, while 30 percent are “emergent bilingual/English learners.”
In a message to Arlington ISD employees, Cavazos said he was moving into “the next chapter” of his life but would assist the district in searching for his replacement.
Cavazos’ departure adds Arlington to the list of Texas school districts searching for new superintendents. In recent months, several superintendent shake-ups have created a “musical chairs” scenario among administrators moving from one district to another.
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