Keller ISD hires Ricardo Alvarez as Caprock Elementary principal; board delays large pool equipment purchase

The Keller ISD Board of Trustees approved the administration's recommendation to hire Ricardo Alvarez as principal of Caprock Elementary for the 2026'27 school year during a special meeting, voting 6'0to'0.

Johania presented the contractual employment recommendation and the board approved it. After the vote, the board invited Ricardo Alvarez and his family to the floor; Alvarez said he was honored to join the district and introduced his wife and children, adding, "I cannot wait to start serving at Caprock Elementary to meet our students, their families, and our staff." The administration will complete contract paperwork and onboarding.

On a separate action item, Doctor Wilson recommended postponing approval of purchases exceeding $25,000 — specifically a Dectron dehumidifying system for the district natatorium — until engineers provide specifications. Wilson told trustees engineers had requested more time to ensure manufacturers build the system to the district's required specifications and that custom manufacturing meant the unit is not a simple off-the-shelf purchase. He asked for roughly four to six weeks to finalize specs.

A trustee asked whether the Dectron system normally takes months; staff clarified that the unit in question is the full dehumidifying/dehumidifier system manufactured to spec, and that the pool's opening itself depends on filter arrival rather than board purchase approval. The board agreed to push the purchase item to a future meeting so staff can return with engineered specifications.

What happens next: Human Resources and the incoming principal will complete onboarding steps; Facilities/Operations will work with engineers to produce specifications and return to the board with a recommendation for the natatorium system purchase.