Austin district officially hires Segura as superintendent: 'I feel like I can trust you'

Matias Segura, who has led the Austin school district for more than a year in a temporary capacity, will be the 73,000-student institution's next permanent superintendent after the school board on Thursday night unanimously approved his contract.

The decision was not a surprise after the board on Dec. 14 named Segura as its top pick for the job. It's common in Texas that school boards only name one finalist for a superintendent position, and state law requires districts to wait 21 days between naming its finalist and offering a job contract.

"I feel like I can trust you," school board President Arati Singh told Segura at the meeting. "There's trust on this board."

Board members said they hope Segura's appointment will bring stability to a district that has undergone significant leadership changes in the last four years.

"This is the administration, this is the time for change, for transformational revolutionary change for our children," District 1 school board member Candace Hunter told the American-Statesman.

Segura is stepping into the position as the district juggles several weighty needs, including funding constraints, continued post-pandemic academic recovery, the rollout of a $2.4 billion bond and state-mandated oversight of the district's chronic special education shortcomings.

Board Vice President Kevin Foster, however, said he has "full faith and confidence" in Segura.

While the board noted it had heard concern about Segura not having an educator's background, which is typical for superintendents, members reiterated their support for him.

"You are a product of AISD, and that really helps you understand what we're up against," board member Ofelia Zapata said.

"I'm feeling really, really excited," Segura said. "I am calm and really focused, just knowing these really critically important things be defined."

Segura will earn $362,250 annually, according to his contract, which was released Thursday night. His contract begins Feb. 15 and runs through Aug. 31, 2028.

'He won my trust'

Segura's path to the position was unlike that of a typical superintendent search.

The district's leadership had been in question since June 2022, when Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde left Austin to run the Dallas district. She had joined the Austin district in August 2020, after longtime Superintendent Paul Cruz resigned.

Anthony Mays, who was Austin's chief of schools, stepped in as interim superintendent during the summer of 2022, but he left that December to take the superintendent job in the Alief school district in southwestern Houston.

Segura stepped into the temporary role in January 2023, with initial plans to lead the district for six months while board members launched the district's search for a new leader. The board later extended his contract past six months.

In the fall, the board decided to forgo a national search — a typical procedure when districts look for superintendents — and instead opted to just post the job opening. At the time, board members said they had a promising internal candidate.

Segura, who graduated from Bowie High School in Southwest Austin, has worked at the district since 2018. Before stepping into the superintendent role last January, he served as the district's operations chief and oversaw construction, facilities and maintenance. He largely led the rollout of the $1.1 billion bond package voters approved in 2017.

During a question-and-answer session with the community on Saturday at Marshall Middle School, several parents who attended said they were optimistic for Segura's tenure as superintendent. During the session, students, parents and community members asked Segura questions about school safety, long-term planning and special education.

Margarita Acuña Mintzer, who has 6- and 7-year-olds in the district, liked that Segura seems open about the constraints he's working under.

"I think that he's genuine," Acuña Mintzer said. "I think that he knows the district."

Anton Morris, whose daughter attends Northeast Early College High School, said Segura presented himself as someone who had "no fluff." This year is Morris' first as a parent in the Austin district.

"He won my trust today," Morris said Saturday. "He seems to have a comprehensive understanding of the district and the needs."

Segura expects to obtain his superintendent certification by June, according to his application. Because Segura doesn't yet have the certificate, the district is seeking a waiver from the Texas Education Agency.

While in the interim superintendent role, Segura earns $315,908.90 annually, plus a $720 cellphone stipend and a $9,000 travel stipend, according to district records.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin ISD hires Matias Segura as superintendent