The superintendent of the Southside Independent School District, Ricardo Vela, readily admits that his credentials for holding the job do not meet Texas Education Agency requirements.
"I've been so busy doing my job that I haven't gotten around to do that," Vela said. "I know it's important and I need to do that."
The TEA requires that a superintendent have a master's degree from an accredited university, hold a principal or equivalent certification, complete a superintendent prep program and complete the required exam.
Vela says he is confident that he can meet the qualifications, but did not specify which of those qualifications he is lacking.
"They've given me three years (but) it may take me four," he said. "The agency will give me three years for me to get superintendent certification waiver."
Vela's $200,000-a-year contract says that he must complete the requirements for certification or waiver "in a reasonable amount of time."
Southside ISD Board President Loren Brewer said he is comfortable with that.
His priority, he said, is performance.
"We hired a superintendent to come in and do a great job and he's done that," Brewer said.
KSAT 12 News checked with 14 local school districts to see if their superintendents were certified by the State Board for Educator Certification.
All have superintendent certifications, except South San Independent School District Superintendent Abe Saavedra, who received certification by the TEA in 1976 as an administrator, thus enabling him to serve as a supervisor from that time.
| District | Superintendent | Certification Term |
| Alamo Heights ISD | Dr. Kevin Brown | 10/01/2013 thru 9/30/2019 |
| Boerne ISD | David Stelmazewski | 10/02/1994 thru life |
| Comal ISD | Dr. Andrew Kim | 02/01/2014 thru 01/31/2020 |
| East Central ISD | Gary Patterson Rolando Toscano | 12/21/1991 thru life 08/01/2012 thru 07/31/2018 |
| Edgewood ISD | Dr. Jose A. Cervantes | 09/19/1998 thru life |
| Harlandale ISD | Rey Madrigal | 09/01/2009 thru 03/31/2015 |
| Judson ISD | Dr. Willis R. Mackey | 07/02/1998 thru life |
| Northside ISD | Dr. Brian T. Woods | 03-01-2014 thru 2-28-2020 |
| North East ISD | Dr. Brian Gottardy
| 02-27-1998 thru life |
| San Antonio ISD | Dr. Sylvester Perez
| 10/17/1993 thru life |
| Schertz/Cibolo/UC ISD | Dr. Greg Gibson | 07/01/2010 thru 06/30/2016 |
| Somerset ISD | Saul Hinojosa | 11/1/2013 thru 10/31/2019 |
| South San ISD | Dr. Abe Saavedra | Certified in 1976 as administrator, which fulfills superintendent certification by TEA |
| Southwest ISD | Dr. Lloyd Verstuyft | 4/1/2014 through 3/31/2020 |