The Northside Independent School District board named a top district administrator as its interim superintendent at a Sunday meeting.
A graduate of the district, Palomares began her teaching career in 1996 as a Northside special education teacher, according to her district biography. She has worked in the school system in different roles since then, including as an elementary school vice principal and principal before joining Northside’s central office staff. Palomares has overseen elementary administration since 2021.
She takes over ahead of a consequential fall for the district, as Northside ISD looks to pass a bond and considers a tax rate increase to boost employee pay and cut back a $38 million budget shortfall.
On Sunday, trustees did not name the candidates they interviewed for the temporary position but voted on “candidate one” and “candidate two.” Four school board members supported the second candidate, while two supported the first.
Before Palomares met with trustees, Jo Ann Fey, deputy superintendent for administration, met with them for roughly an hour behind closed doors. Fey has been with the district for about a year. Before that, she led Killeen ISD as superintendent after Craft left the top job there to lead Northside.
Trustees Robert Blount and Karen Freeman voted in favor of “candidate one.” Both declined to comment further following the vote, with Blount saying “once the board decides it … we’ll move forward.” Trustee David Salcido was not in attendance Sunday.
Northside ISD was founded in 1949 and initially included 12 rural schools. Nearly 80 years later, it serves around 98,000 students across 133 campuses in sprawling suburban corridors extending to the edges of the Hill Country. It is the fourth-largest school system in Texas. In its history, Northside ISD has had nine permanent superintendents.
The district has not been immune to the challenges facing public school systems across the state.
The district last passed a $992 million bond in 2022. Some of that money is on hold as the district examines its path forward, including how many campuses it can serve. The unused bond dollars have drawn criticism from some City Council members who represent portions of the district.
Staff writer Scott Huddleston contributed to this report.