Edgewood ISD superintendent retires before new school board members take office

Eduardo Hernandez is retiring from Edgewood Independent School District after nearly a decade of serving at the helm. He first came onto the district in 2018, and on Wednesday discussed a voluntary retirement agreement with the school board, who approved it with a 6-1 vote. “To provide education for the students and their families, that is something that I hold very dear. And in 30 years of service, that has been my life’s ministry,” said Hernandez. His decision to retire comes earlier than expected. Last year, the board extended Hernandez’s contract to June of 2030, which was extended again in September to June of 2031. The announcement of his retirement also comes a week after the November midterm elections shook up the school board’s composition . Several Edgewood ISD community members and parents attended the meeting because they did not want the district to give Hernandez a buyout, which is common practice whenever a superintendent leaves before his contract is up. They questioned why Hernandez would be allowed to leave his role mid-contract — when educators who do the same thing are often penalized by the state — and asked the current board to delay any agreement until the new trustees are sworn in during a Nov. 17 meeting. At least three of the incoming trustees were present at Wednesday’s meeting, along with several former trustees. Hernandez’s annual salary is $335,193. He was also receiving an additional retirement supplement of $26,815 through a tax-sheltered plan. And he was eligible for bonuses based on student outcomes on the state’s academic assessment system. The district won’t publicize how much the board agreed to pay Hernandez until the end of the week, said Board President James Hernandez . While several criticized the former superintendent directly, calling him ineffective, others defended his leadership, including previous Edgewood ISD employees and former board members. “He is and was a superintendent in person that Edgewood needed,” said Joseph Guerra, who served on the board when Hernandez was first hired. “He is a man of great faith and humbleness, always putting his faith in individuals to do the things necessary to get the job done. I have no doubt in my mind that this man will not be easily replaced, and I wonder how long it will be before TEA takes steps again.” The new face of the board Wednesday’s meeting was also a goodbye for three of the board’s members — James Hernandez, Frank Espinosa and Richard Santoyo — who lost their reelection bids to candidates who ran on promising change and transparency. Michael Valdez , who was the lone board member who held on to his seat this election cycle, has often publicly criticized Hernandez. He was the lone vote against Wednesday’s retirement agreement. “I’m upset with the figures,” he said about the superintendent’s buyout. “I do also want to thank the superintendent for his service. He was the superintendent when I was a student… But we do have a disagreement on like just the way he’s transitioning.” The trustee-elects, which include Valdez, Elias Hernandez , Dora Maldonado and Dorothy Borjas ran on promises to increase transparency and communication. They’re part of a coalition of parents and community members that has often criticized Edgewood ISD’s administration. What Hernandez did in office Leading Edgewood ISD was Hernandez’s first superintendent gig. He came to San Antonio nearly a decade ago after working as the chief academic officer from Duncanville ISD, a suburban district in the Dallas area. He arrived two years after the Texas Education Agency took over Edgewood ISD , replacing the school board with a five-member board of managers. He replaced former superintendent Emilio Castro, who resigned after harassment allegations were levied against him by a district employee. Under Hernandez, Edgewood ISD transitioned back to local control and was an early adopter of school choice strategies, like opening enrollment boundaries in 2019and partnering with Pre-K 4 SA to attract young families. He also helped grow the district’s Teacher Incentive Allotment program, which pays teachers thousands more based on effectiveness and school need. The district expanded student programs like fine arts, early college high school, career and technical education and launched partnerships with universities and charter networks to run several of the district’s schools. Hernandez also launched and funded a scholarship to help the district’s top graduates cover the “incidentals” of college life, like dorm supplies, books and even attire for campus events. The Westside district serves around 7,600 students across 21 schools, and nearly 94% of students are considered economically disadvantaged. Like most school districts in San Antonio, Edgewood ISD has been facing years of enrollment decline and financial struggles. This year, the board adopted a budget with a $3.7 million deficit. For the 2025-26 school year, Edgewood ISD got a D rating from the state, considered academically unacceptable. The rating has improved minimally in the past few years, an issue several community members and parents hold against Hernandez. Going into the current school year, Edgewood ISD handed control of one of its campuses to Third Future Schools, a nonprofit education network known for quickly turning schools around. The move was a Hail Mary to avoid state intervention, which is triggered once a school gets five consecutive years of failing ratings. While public schools may have breathed a sigh of relief after statewide Democratic wins , signaling potential increased education funding and reform, it’s unclear how much state leadership can get done while the state Senate remains controlled by Republicans. Hernandez is the sixth San Antonio area superintendent to exit the role in the past year. Last November, the superintendent at North East ISD announced he would be leaving. A few months later, the San Antonio ISD superintendent also announced he would be retiring. Both found permanent replacements already. In February, Judson ISD’s superintendent was placed on leave and formally fired months later, and over the summer, superintendents at Northside ISD and Southwest ISD also announced their departures and both are currently being led by interims. Hernandez said taking criticism was part of the job and thanked the board for working with him for the past eight years. His last day will be Feb. 1, and he will be serving as a superintendent emeritus until then. “I walk out having served again with a very genuine heart,” he told the board and public. “Understanding that I don’t get everything right, but I’ve always said that I am an imperfect person trying to do the best by other imperfect people.” READ MORE Edgewood ISD superintendent retires before new school board members take office by Xochilt Garcia State finds no evidence of wrongdoing after investigating Judson ISD Board President Monica Ryan by Xochilt Garcia