Laredo ISD trustees approve superintendent contract extension, increase payout for unused leave

Laredo, Texas ' The Laredo Independent School District Board of Trustees voted Feb. 29 to amend the superintendent's employment contract, extending the contract through Jan. 26, 2029, and increasing the district-paid payout for accrued unused state and local leave days to 50.

The action was introduced as a motion during the special-call meeting and was approved by voice vote after a second; the board recorded that the motion passed. The meeting included an executive session earlier in the evening; the chair stated on the public record that no action was taken during that closed session on either agenda item.

Superintendent Dr. Rios thanked the board after the vote, saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for your vote of confidence. I truly appreciate working with each of you." He told trustees that work on next steps would begin immediately and that the district would present a detailed account of plans to the board the following Wednesday.

Trustees who spoke during the meeting praised the superintendent's leadership and highlighted district strengths. Trustee Monica Garcia congratulated the superintendent on another year and credited district staff and leadership for academic and operational stability. Trustee Rodolfo Morales III acknowledged financial challenges facing the district but said the board will work with the finance team to align decisions with enrollment and capacity.

Board announcements at the meeting included a district surplus auction set for Saturday, March 2 (items viewable at 9 a.m.; auction at 11 a.m.), Special Olympics ceremonies and competitions March 5'7, and Nixon High School's Mustang Legend ceremony on March 7; trustees were also reminded of upcoming strategic-plan sessions in March, including a March 20 board session and community meetings on March 21. The board set a special-call meeting for March 7 at 5 p.m. and noted the regular board meeting date had been changed to March 26.

The transcript records the motion and passage by voice vote; no individualized roll-call votes or numerical tallies are shown in the public record provided. The board chair stated, for the record, that no action took place during the earlier executive session. The superintendent and trustees said staffing and a TASB salary survey are part of the strategic-plan work ahead.

What happens next: Staff said a detailed report and next steps would be provided to trustees within days; the superintendent identified strategic-plan meetings on March 20 and community sessions on March 21 as the immediate forum for broader planning and stakeholder involvement.