New San Benito superintendent inks $185,000 contract

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The San Benito school district’s new board of trustees is signing Superintendent Fred Perez to a two-year contract coming with a $185,000 salary.

This week, Perez took office after the state’s 21-day waiting period following his selection as the board’s finalist for the job.

Since last September, Perez had served as acting superintendent after former Superintendent Theresa Servellon resigned following her suspension while two years remained on her three-year contract.

During his career with the school district, Perez has served as federal programs director, San Benito High School’s assistant principal and Miller Jordan Middle School’s principal while also working as a teacher.

Earlier this week, the board signed Perez to the contract running through Aug. 13, 2026, paying a $185,000 salary, about $18,000 below Servellon’s $203,400 salary.

”I am very excited and proud to be offered a two-year contract in a district that I love,” Perez said Wednesday in a statement. “I find it very rare to have someone go from being a teacher to assistant principal, principal, director, to superintendent all in the same district. I’m blessed to have the support from the entire board.”

Perez is taking office with the support of much of the district’s staff, school board President Orlando Lopez said.

“I’m extremely excited for the school district,” he said in an interview. “We’ve finally got a superintendent with the vision, passion and ability to change the culture for the staff and the kids for a better learning environment. I’m extremely pleased with the board members’ input in selecting the right leader to lead the San Benito CISD family.”

Under Perez’s contract, board members may “at any time during the term of this contract … in it’s discretion review and adjust the salary of the superintendent.”

As part of the contract, the district’s paying Perez a $200 monthly cellphone allowance along with a $400 monthly automobile gasoline allowance.

Under the contract, the board can terminate the superintendent based on “mutual agreement.”

“This contract may be terminated by the mutual agreement of the superintendent and the board in writing upon such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed upon,” the contract states.

Meanwhile, the board can also terminate the superintendent based on “good cause.”

“The board may dismiss the superintendent during the term of his contract for good cause in accordance with Texas Education Code Sections 21.211, 21.212 (d),” the contact states.

In July, following a two-month statewide search, the school board unanimously selected Perez as the finalist for the superintendent’s job, picking him out of a short list after narrowing a field of 27 candidates.

In May, board members hired the Texas Association of School Boards for $10,500 to help conduct the search.

As part of the search process, officials conducted a survey, posting a link on the district’s social media channels while emailing parents and staff.

The school board “wanted to include the San Benito community in the search for the next superintendent,” board Vice President Ariel Cruz-Vela said earlier, adding the survey posed questions such as “what are the professional and personal characteristics that the board should look for in the next superintendent.”

The school board received 455 responses, 47% from parents and members of the community, 52% from staff and 1% from students, she said.