The end of winter signals the beginning of spring break for Española School District students, but the weather isn’t the only change those at San Juan Elementary will experience before the school year is over.
After handing in his resignation letter to Española School District administrators Feb. 26, school Principal Felix Garcia’s last day was March 6. He left for Albuquerque, after he snagged a job as the head administrator at Sage Montessori Charter School.
Garcia, who lives in Rio Rancho, said the long, everyday commute to Ohkay Owingeh was the main reason he accepted the new job.
“I’ve been commuting now for a year, and sometimes, I stay at my mom’s,” he said. “At the beginning, I thought I would be able to stay here until the end of the year, but when I was offered the contract, they indicated that they wanted me to start right away.”
Garcia started as principal of San Juan Elementary in July 2014, after former principal Norma Lara left at the end of last school year. He earned an annual salary of $71,000 on the job.
He said he got a $76,000 annual salary offer for the Albuquerque job. He started at the charter school Monday.
Besides a quicker commute, Garcia cited the higher salary and the seemingly less stressful environment in Albuquerque, as reasons why he chose to leave for the big city.
“It (the salary offer) was part of it,” he said. “The other part is that even though it (the charter school) is a K-8 school, I’ll have less students and teachers. All the requirements that we have (at San Juan) are pretty intense. I feel like I’ll have less evaluations and things like that to do, so it will be a lot more manageable.”
Garcia said a part of him is sad to leave San Juan Elementary.
He said one of his biggest accomplishments at the school was an improved team dynamic and morale among the teachers, staff and parents.
“It’s difficult to leave these people behind,” he said. “I’m happy that I will be close to home and I won’t be commuting so far, but I’m really sad with the relationships I formed here. We did a lot over the last seven months. The kids are really sad that I’m leaving, so it makes it really hard.”
School administrators assembled a 10-member search committee for a new principal, comprised of teachers and parents. The committee interviewed two finalists March 6.
The candidates include Questa’s Alta Vista Elementary School Principal Jéorj Morález and Sombrillo Elementary teacher Deborah Mitchel Gerald. An Inspection of Public Records Act request for the candidates’ application materials is pending.
When asked what they’re looking for in a new principal, San Juan Elementary Parent Advisory Committee Vice President John Petersen, who is part of the search committee, said, “Mr. Garcia’s twin.”
He said he’s disappointed to see Garcia go.
“He’s been very good with the school, changing teachers’ attitudes,” Petersen said. “We personally have had problems with some teachers. He’s calmed the waters.”
Petersen blamed District administrators for Garcia’s departure.
“It’s been tough for him and I feel for him because I don’t think he’s gotten the support from Central Office that he has deserved,” he said. “He made requests for playground equipment. Overtures have been made to him, then he had the rope pulled out from underneath him and they said, ‘No, we don’t have the money.’ False promises were made.”
San Juan sixth-grade teacher Antonia Herrera, another member of the search committee, said Garcia improved the working environment at the school, compared to the previous administration.
“Our staff was so much dysfunctional,” she said. “There were a lot of issues between (us) that have not necessarily been resolved. He just listened to everybody. He demonstrated awesome leadership skills.”
Herrera said she was satisfied with the two candidates hoping to replace Garcia.
“They both demonstrated extremely good qualities and are definitely leaders in their profession,” she said.
She said committee members issued a recommendation to the superintendent after the interviews, but she declined to specify who they chose.
She expects him to hire a new principal by March 16, when classes resume after a week-long spring break.
Whoever is hired, Petersen expects the new principal to take control.
“We need somebody who will tell the teachers how it is and is with compassion,” he said. “We need a firm hand.”