Superintendent Max Perez Resigns

GRANTS, NM – A Special Session School Board Meeting began with Action Items.

The first and only item in this meeting was the consideration of approval to accept the resignation of the superintendent. The motion was seconded and fully approved by the Board.

President Dr. Guy Archambeau then thanked Max Perez for his service since 2019. Archambeau clarified that they approved his letter of resignation and that he will continue his role until the end of the term on June 30. Archambeau then said, “Thank you. We know that you have performed excellently, your evaluations have been very good, and we wish you well in whatever endeavors you seek to have in the future.”

Perez then thanked them all. He then stated that it is bittersweet because, at this point, he has been 44 years in the business. He also said that it is difficult because they had put together such a good team and were on an upward trajectory and that is what makes it difficult to pull away. He then said 'It's also the best time in the world to make the shift and pass the baton. Don't want to wait until things are looking downward before you make a move like this. I appreciate that, I appreciate you all, and I hope that you all will understand that this is just another chapter and I don't always think of myself first and I will do everything I can to see I help with this process however I'm needed. Make sure that we get kicked off and springboarded into a new chapter for the district and hopefully we will keep that same trajectory going. We're taking off good in many different ways. Thank you.'

The next item on the agenda was to discuss the search process with New Mexico School Board Association consultants Tom Sullivan and Linda Paul and retention of a third-party search consultant to assist the Board and setting the time frame for the selection of a new Superintendent. Archambeau proceeded to tell everyone present that after the last meeting he contacted the NMSBA and that they gave him access to their Superintendent search team that the Board could use and was referred to Sullivan. Sullivan and Paul's resumes were available in the meeting.

Archambeau then said that the NMSBA talked with him and they are in a time crunch. The last time they did this they had several months and now do not have that luxury.

Archambeau then invited Sullivan and Paul to initiate the discussion. Sullivan began by saying that the School Board and Superintendent should be congratulated. He then stated that the stability that they have as Board members and with their Superintendents is remarkable throughout the state due to a Superintendent's life expectancy in NM being about two years. He said that it is important for student success that there is stability in the district. He praised them saying that they have had it and he believes the success they have had is due to that. After some introduction, the discussion then moved forward to the process for doing interviews for a new Superintendent. They are pushing for May 16 for the School Board to conduct their interviews because they have a Regular Board Meeting that day already. They believe they can do the interviews in the morning of that day, review them in the afternoon, and make their decision at the meeting. This would also allow the new Superintendent some time to work with Max Perez before he leaves in June.

Much of the meeting was then used to discuss the process of how they would handle the search moving forward such as contact information, application design, community advisory, applicant travel arrangements, and advertisement for the position. More will be discussed at the next Board Meeting.

The Grants-Cibola County School’s Board of Education released the following about the superintendent’s resignation: The Board of Education wishes to share the following statement with the School District community on the retirement of Superintendent Max Perez: It is with regret that we must announce the resignation and retirement of our Superintendent, Max Perez, effective June 30, 2023. Mr. Perez submitted his resignation to the Board of Education at its meeting on March 15, 2023. The Board had just provided Mr. Perez with another very positive evaluation when he tendered his resignation for personal reasons.

The Board formally accepted Mr. Perez’ resignation at its meeting on March 21, 2023. This journey between the Board and Mr. Perez began nearly four years ago when Mr. Perez applied for Superintendent. It was a significant time for all of us and Mr. Perez was given goals to improve the School District in conjunction with the development and implementation of the School District’s strategic Plan. He instituted a system wide plan for academic success through the rigorous implementation of a standards based District Learning Plan. Professional learning communities teamed up to concentrate their focus on student learning.

Not only did he provide steady administration but led this School District forward in sound financial management and facilities development. Mr. Perez made many of these advancements in the middle of a pandemic that stressed the District and its communities. From standards based instruction to innovative CTE and technology, Mr. Perez set some lofty goals and expectations, always keeping in mind the community and children of the Grants/Cibola County Schools. Even though Mr. Perez is leaving us, he has left us a great team to continue the implementation of the School District’s Strategic Plan. A team we are all confident that will help us continue our journey forward.

The Board of Education wishes Mr. Perez good luck on his retirement and thanks him and his family for letting Mr. Perez be a part of our community and our lives. Thank you for all the hard work and dedication.

The Board has engaged the consultant services of Tom Sullivan and Dr. Linda Paul of the New Mexico School Board Associations' Superintendent Search program. They have extensive district administrative experience along with their work on previous superintendent searches. A rigorous objective process with timelines will be undertaken. Staff, community, tribes, and parents will be a part of the process. The Board expects to select a new superintendent in the latterpart of May 2023.

It is Board’s intention that at our next school board meeting on March 29, 2023, we will finalize the details of the superintendent search, including qualifications, desired characteristics, etc. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Board President guy.archambeau@gccs.k12 .nm.us or at 505-240-2251.