Edinburg officially hires new superintendent

EDINBURG - It's official.

The Edinburg school district's Board of Trustees unanimously approved a two-year contract for Rene Gutierrez on Tuesday night, officially making him the next superintendent.

Gutierrez, who has served as the assistant superintendent for business for the La Joya school district for the past three years, will take the helm of the Edinburg district July 20, said Jacques Treviño, the Edinburg school system's attorney.

Under the contract, Gutierrez will receive a salary of $175,000 per year and a $100 monthly phone allowance. The contract is undergoing final review by attorneys, Treviño said.

The salary for the school system's new chief executive officer ranks on the low end for superintendents with similar educational credentials and school district sizes in the region.

Gutierrez, who has a doctorate, will be overseeing a district of more than 30,000 students. The student population for the 2008-2009 school year was 30,749, making it the largest school district in Hidalgo County and the second largest in the Rio Grande Valley.

Assuming the district receives no new students for the 2009-2010 school year, Gutierrez's salary translates to about $5.69 per student.

Daniel King, superintendent of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district, earns $225,750 a year, or about $7.37 per student, according to information from the Texas Education Agency. He oversees a district of 30,618 students.

Alda Benavides, superintendent of the La Joya school system, earns $194,842 a year, or about $7.20 per student. She oversees a district of 27,055 students.

And the McAllen school system's new superintendent, James Ponce, is earning $195,000 a year, or about $7.79 per pupil. He oversees a district of just over 25,000 students.

Gutierrez, who worked for the Edinburg district for seven years before joining the La Joya school system in 1998, said he's looking forward to working with the Edinburg school system and community to continue preparing students for college and the workforce.

"It's a tremendous responsibility but I'm ready for the challenge," he said.