Longtime Santa Fe educator, administrator Carl Marano to head Tucumcari schools

May 3—Carl Marano's dedication to the Santa Fe school district has been on display since he first attended a public school here.

A 1977 news story said Marano — then just 6 years old — was "the biggest Demons fan in town."

Will he still be the biggest Demons fan after he takes the top job at a new district?

"I don't think that will ever change," said Marano, an assistant superintendent at Santa Fe Public Schools who has been hired as superintendent in Tucumcari and plans to step into the role in a few months.

"But at the same time, I'll also be a big Rattler fan," he added.

After a 25-year career as an educator and administrator at Santa Fe Public Schools, the transition has been a "whirlwind of emotion," Marano said. But he's up to facing new challenges.

Marano, 52, was born and raised in Santa Fe. He began working at the local district as a first grade teacher in 1998. He also has taught sixth grade mathematics, worked as a student engagement adviser, a vice principal, a principal — including at Santa Fe High, his alma mater — and a high school basketball coach.

As an assistant superintendent, Marano oversees six elementary schools and four K-8 schools.

His family has strong ties to Tucumcari.

Though he is a lifelong Santa Fean, his roots in the Eastern New Mexico community go back generations before he was born.

His parents came from families of ranchers in the community of Conchas, about 30 miles northwest of Tucumcari. His mother and brother have lived in their hometown for decades.

Marano said his father — who died of colon cancer in 2021 — asked his son to someday join his family there and work to improve the school district in Tucumcari.

"He left this world wanting me to do two things: work in Tucumcari and make sure my mom was taken care of," Marano said.

Santa Fe Superintendent Hilario "Larry" Chavez congratulated Marano in an email, noting he is not only a longtime employee of the district but also a graduate.

"His dedication and commitment to [Santa Fe Public Schools] will be missed," Chavez wrote. "We wish him luck in his new position and we will continue to support Mr. Marano as he prepares for his next professional chapter."

During his tenure in the Santa Fe district, Marano saw changes that have bought about a "different age of how we educate our children," with a renewed focus on career training in schools, he said. Holding students' attention for instruction over sustained periods has become more difficult, he added.

"At some point there are going to be some hard decisions that need to be made here regarding enrollment and right-sizing the district," Marano said of Santa Fe Public Schools, where declining enrollment has left many campuses operating at around half their capacity. Still, school board members remain reluctant to close and consolidate schools.

The Tucumcari school board chose Marano as superintendent from a pool with seven other candidates and unanimously approved his two-year contract April 22. He will earn an annual salary of $150,000.

Board members congratulated him during the meeting, with Jehu Knapp telling him, "I like your uplifting view of Tucumcari — we have potential, and I'm glad someone can see that."

The new job leading the Tucumcari school district will come with challenges.

The small district's graduation rate was most recently 73%, compared with Santa Fe's 82%, according to state data.

The Tucumcari district is experiencing "solid enrollment" for kindergarten through eighth grade, Marano said, but it is "losing students at the high school level," a trend he said he might address with a new approach to work-based learning programs and career and technical trainings.

"It all comes down to listening to students and families to figure out why they're leaving and choosing to go elsewhere," Marano said. "You have to be a good listener and listen to your stakeholders, and your number one stakeholders are your students."

A smaller school district that brings in less overall state funding will require a different approach to the "puzzle pieces" of budgets and staffing.

"I might have to take on not just a superintendent role, but some other roles as well, and you use your staff accordingly," Marano said.

He said he is looking forward to "getting creative" with partnerships throughout the community for work-based learning and peer mentor programs.

Marano hesitated to tout his accomplishments at Santa Fe Public Schools.

His biggest feeling of accomplishment comes with encountering, years later, a former student or someone he guided as a principal and seeing how the work of educators made a difference in their life.

"For us as educators, there isn't always instant gratification," he said.

"I think I've given Santa Fe Public Schools everything I have," Marano said. "I've been very dedicated to my work here."