The Arlington ISD school board has voted unanimously to name a lone finalist for superintendent. Matt Smith will replace Marcelo Cavazos, who retired at the end of August after 11 years as Arlington ISD superintendent.
Smith is currently the superintendent of Belton ISD near Temple.
Arlington ISD School Board President Melody Fowler says the district picked Smith because he helped set up student programs like drone certification, esports and a business incubator to give students experience in entrepreneurship.
Last year, voters in Belton ISD approved a $174 million bond.
"Our lone finalist set himself apart from the other [applicants] with his innovative ideas, his demonstrated leadership, and his passion for education," Fowler says.
"I want to make sure everyone knows none of those accomplishments were possible without an amazing team in Belton ISD and the other places I've worked," Smith says. "I am eternally grateful for their work with me along the way."
Smith became superintendent of Belton ISD in 2020. Before that, he served as chief academic officer of Leander ISD.
Arlington ISD is the 13th biggest school district in Texas with almost 60,000 students. Belton ISD has 13,000 students, and Leander ISD has about 41,500.
"I'm excited about the future in Arlington ISD," Smith told the school board. "In front of me, I see an amazing team that works together, that cares about this community and a wonderful administrative team that has dedicated years of service for kids."
While the Arlington school board voted unanimously to approve Smith, state law requires the district to wait three weeks before he can sign a contract.
