SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio ISD Superintendent Pedro Martinez may be leaving the district for a new job, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Martinez, who has been with SAISD since 2015, is one of two frontrunners in Chicago Public Schools’ search for a new CEO, according to the newspaper. Martinez graduated from Illinois and previously worked for CPS between 2003 and 2009, reaching the rank of Chief Financial Officer.
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If hired, Martinez would oversee the nation’s third-largest school system, which is roughly seven times larger than SAISD, according to the newspaper. CPS interim CEO José Torres is also considered a finalist.
Martinez’s potential departure may leave SAISD without a superintendent during a strenuous school year amid a surge of COVID-19 cases.
Martinez released a statement about the news on Monday afternoon, stressing that he is “very happy” in San Antonio and that he will continue to focus on the district while the hiring process plays out.
With a rise in infections among children, the district issued a mask mandate and was the first district in the state to require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees.
Martinez was named in a lawsuit filed on Thursday by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who sought to invalidate the district’s vaccine mandate. But the conflict became irrelevant after the Pfizer vaccine received full authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on Monday, paving the way for governmental entities to mandate vaccinations in Texas.
SAISD’s vaccine mandate will be in effect starting Oct. 15.
In a statement, Martinez urged staff and community members alike to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
“We know there are residents across San Antonio who have been reluctant to get their shots because it was only authorized for emergency use and who have waited for full approval before getting vaccinated,” Martinez said. “That moment has come and our message today is simple: Please protect yourself, your community, and children across our city by getting vaccinated.”