She will begin new role as first Hispanic female superintendent in district history on Feb. 1

The Spring ISD Board of Trustees held a special session on Friday evening, unanimously approving Dr. Lupita Hinojosa as the next superintendent of schools for Spring ISD.

Hinojosa, who signed her contract during the meeting, will be the first Hispanic woman in district history to hold the office of superintendent. Her appointment was confirmed following the required 21-day waiting period since being named lone finalist on Jan. 6. She begins in her new role on Feb 1.

“I am honored and humbled to have been given this opportunity to lead a district that has become family to me,” Hinojosa said. “My goal is to channel the energy and boundless enthusiasm I have for education toward improving student outcomes and supporting teaching and learning in Spring ISD.”

Spring ISD Board President Justine Durant said she and her fellow board members are proud to be ushering in a historic moment for the district and are confident that Hinojosa can bring continuity and even greater success to Spring ISD in this new era.

“Despite the number of qualified candidates we had to choose from, Dr. Hinojosa rose to the top by virtue of her longstanding commitment to the students of Spring ISD,” Durant said. “Since coming to the district, Dr. Hinojosa has shown a genuine dedication to ensuring every student has the opportunity to be successful. Having seen her commitment in action and having witnessed her passion for education over these past few years, we firmly believe that she has the wisdom, the know-how, and the heart to lead our district into its next chapter.”

Hinojosa said she is eager to roll up her sleeves and lead the work to ensure excellent outcomes for the students of Spring ISD. She said along with the district’s strategic direction (Every Student. Every Teacher. Every Day.), which she was instrumental in helping to develop, her three guiding principles as she gets started are joy, empowerment, and re-engagement.

“My colleagues and I are at work, and we are moving full-steam ahead to finish out the remainder of the school year,” Hinojosa said. “The pandemic has created a challenging couple of years for us, so I want to take this opportunity to create an environment where Team Spring finds joy in our work, where students, staff, and families are empowered, and everyone reconnects, and recommits to go deeper to help our students finish strong.”

Hinojosa, who previously served as the district’s chief of Innovation and Equity, succeeds Dr. Rodney E. Watson, who announced in October that he was departing the district to become deputy executive director for the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB).

She was born to immigrant parents and raised in South Texas as a first-generation Mexican American, beginning her career in education as a bilingual teacher in the Houston Independent School District. She advanced as a leader in Houston ISD, serving as principal, assistant superintendent for School Choice, and as school services officer. She is a graduate of the University of Texas and holds a master’s and Doctorate of Education from the University of Houston.

Upon joining Spring ISD in 2014 as chief academic officer, she helped oversee the implementation of the district’s Five-Year Strategic Plan focused on student-centered transformation. She also was at the forefront of the district’s equity study, and in her previous role as chief of Innovation and Equity her primary goal has been to create excellent and equitable opportunities for all students from various backgrounds – securing more than $40 million in grants for school and district transformation efforts.