Thursday morning, Las Cruces Public Schools Superintendent Ralph Ramos announced plans to retire from his position at the helm of New Mexico’s second-largest school district. His last day is April 7, 2023.
“Filling the shoes of Dr. Trujillo was the greatest challenge,” Ramos shared with staff inside the boardroom named for Karen Trujillo, the late superintendent who preceded him. “Being superintendent was not originally in my career path, but I truly feel that I was called to serve in this capacity.”
Ramos recapped with staff many tasks he helped to accomplish during his tenure, which began March 1, 2021. Among them, a refined, collaborative budget process that provided additional funding in the classroom and included feedback from every stakeholder in a district of 24,000 students. He worked to improve on-demand communication, overseeing the launch of a new district website and smartphone app. Often, the photos featured on the district’s social media pages were taken by Ramos himself while visiting school campuses. Collectively, Ramos also worked to improve staffing, prioritized equity among students and worked to provide experiential learning opportunities for students that extended beyond the classroom.
In a letter to staff, he thanked each educator personally for the work they did every day for students, adding, “I made it my mission to attend as many concerts, competitions, games, activities and celebrations as possible. My days started early and ended late, and I loved every second of it.”
Ramos began his 31-year career in public education as a teacher at Picacho Middle School. Prior to taking the lead as Superintendent, he spent 13 years as the principal at Camino Real Middle School.
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