Due to the instability with the district’s top position over the past few years, trustees in being prudent with taxpayers’ money, hired Dr. Carman who accepted the position with compensation well below the market value last August.
Dr. Carman’s initial contract included a provision that called for trustees to consider a compensation increase within the first six months of his employment. Dr. Carman has proven himself and trustees are pleased with his performance.
Board President Michael A. Vargas noted, "It is no secret that in San Benito CISD’s past couple of years, we have had a dismal track record of retaining superintendents for longer than two years. With the assistance of JG Consulting, we made it a top priority to attract top talent from across the state of Texas and the United States.”
During his short time with the district, Dr. Carman has remained focused on addressing academics, finances, technology, operations and personnel and continues evaluating other areas critical to the success of the district.
At a regular board meeting held on Tuesday, Feb. 20, and based on the evidence of the work and the commitment to provide much-needed stability, trustees by a 6-0 vote, approved amending the superintendent’s contract. President Michael A. Vargas, Vice-President Angel Mendez, Secretary M.L. Garcia and members Joe G. Gonzalez, Orlando Lopez and Victor Rosas voted in favor of such.
Vargas spoke highly of Dr. Carman’s work while explaining the board’s rationale for such action.
“Relative to the contract that Dr. Carman signed when he came on board, language included that the Board of Trustees would re-evaluate his salary after six months. Acting in good faith, the Board of Trustees executed accordingly,” Vargas said. “We did this because Dr. Carman has proven, in such a short amount of time, his relentless pursuit to make San Benito CISD the “GOLD STANDARD” in all areas of public education. With his recent equitable salary adjustment, which finally puts him at market value relative to his counterparts across the Rio Grande Valley, the board has shown that we are dedicated to working with Dr. Carman for the long haul. After all, it is what this district was hungry for and needs–leadership stability and sustainability.”
With the commitment from trustees to remain transparent, Dr. Carman’s contract was readily available on the district website for the public to access, Vargas noted.
“As board president, I look forward to the exciting things that come under the leadership and teamwork of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Carman and his administration," he said.
Mendez shared similar sentiments.
"As a district, we are making progress and moving in the right direction," Mendez said. "It is evident that Dr. Carman has been providing much-needed stability. We are seeing progress with initiatives and have confidence in Dr. Carman's ability to empower administration and district personnel."
Mendez added, "As trustees, we remain committed to doing what's best for our children and our community. We owe it to our community to maintain highly qualified leadership to lead our district and have complete confidence in Dr. Carman's ability to lead the district."
Lopez points out that the district continues making steady progress under Dr. Carman’s leadership and remains hopeful about the district’s future.
“As a trustee, I am honored to publicly acknowledge that Dr. Carman has brought stability to our school district after several tumultuous years,” Lopez said. “In re-evaluating his contract and including an equitable salary adjustment, we have placed our confidence in Dr. Carman’s ability to continue leading this district towards a brighter future. We have confidence that he will motivate and empower our students, staff and district to succeed. Our school board is committed to working closely and collaboratively with Dr. Carman to make those successes come to fruition.”
Both the original contract and the amended contract can be found on the district’s website at www.sbcisd.net.