San Antonio – He’s starting a new job as superintendent of a school district in the midst of a pandemic, but his goal is to be real but optimistic about the future.
Dr. Marc Puig started his new role as the superintendent for South San ISD on June 8th. The pandemic forced him to hit the ground running, meeting with teachers and parents and hearing concerns to formulate a plan for the new school year.
“How we respond to our teachers, how we respond to our students and our broader community in the midst of this pandemic is the opportunity. And we need to come across with deliberate calm and we need to come across with bounded optimism and making sure we have a plan to keep everyone safe,” he said.
The school year starts August 12 and it will be 100% virtual until the data shows otherwise, he says.
“We’re going to make sure that every student and every teacher has the the tools and the resources necessary to execute a virtual environment and thrive in that environment,” Puig said.
He says the district has already taken the steps necessary to ensure that all students are virtual.
“We know there might be pockets, really small pockets, where there might be a digital divide, but we are prepared to pivot very quickly to provide that. So we are ready to go and take care of business for our children,” he said.
The district also boasts of having 70% enrollment, which they say is high for this time of the year.
As far as the budget for next year, he says the district has been prudent with its spending in the past and he’s confident the district will not be financially impacted moving forward.
Puig served as the superintendent of Beeville since 2016. He was hired following a shake-up with district leadership, when three trustees resigned after Supt. Alexandro Flores resigned after less than a year on the job in August 2019. Flores was hired after Dr. Abelardo Saavedra resigned.
Puig says he sees unity in the board and he connected with them in the initial interview.
“I think we both fell in love with one another and here we are,” he said.
He thinks they’re on the right page to get things done.
“I am confident that the school board is well equipped and prepared and has the right mindset to make South San the best district on the planet. And I’m right there with them to make sure that happens,” he said.
As a former teacher, he says it’s his goal to make sure he makes decisions through their eyes.