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Alvin ISD board names Dr. Rhonda Mason lone finalist for superintendent after 5–2 vote
Summary
The Alvin Independent School District board voted 5–2 to designate Dr. Rhonda Mason as the lone finalist to succeed Superintendent Carol Nelson after a TASB-conducted search. Trustees split over whether Mason’s background includes sufficient executive-level superintendent experience.
The Alvin Independent School District Board of Trustees on a 5–2 vote on the motion approved Dr. Rhonda Mason as the district’s lone finalist for superintendent, the board announced during its meeting.
The board read a fly sheet saying trustees had approved the retirement of Superintendent Carol Nelson on Feb. 10, 2026, and retained TASB Executive Search Services to assist with the search. The TASB process, trustees said, included community input and interviews of candidates.
One trustee said community members and staff had emphasized hiring a candidate with prior executive-cabinet or superintendent experience and announced, “I will not be extending my vote for Dr. Mason,” arguing the district needs a leader who can “hit the ground running” and who has demonstrable superintendent-level experience.
Other trustees defended the board’s choice. One trustee said they reviewed more than 1,200 comments submitted through the TASB process and noted the search considered 42 candidates. That trustee described Dr. Mason’s background as spanning “over 25 years” in education, including classroom and principal roles, district positions as assistant superintendent and executive director, supervision of multiple campuses and oversight of several thousand students, and said they were “fully confident” Dr. Mason would do an outstanding job.
Another trustee urged continued community engagement regardless of the result and cited the district’s prior history of giving opportunities to less-experienced candidates, referencing the board’s earlier selection of Carol Nelson. Additional trustees spoke in support of the selection and encouraged public accountability in the coming weeks.
The chair announced the motion carried 5–2; the board noted the lone-finalist designation will move forward under the procedures described in the meeting (the board referenced a 21-day period before a final appointment). The meeting adjourned after a subsequent unanimous vote to close.
What happens next: Under the board’s stated timeline, Dr. Mason will remain the lone finalist for the period described by trustees before any final employment action; the transcript records the board saying the designation is effective for the next 21 days. No final hiring vote was recorded at the meeting.
