(EL PASO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT -- Nov. 16, 2021) — The EPISD Board of Trustees on Monday, Nov. 15, announced the selection of Diana Sayavedra as the lone finalist for the superintendent position of the District.

If selected following the state-mandated 21-day waiting period, she would be EPISD’s next superintendent and the first woman to hold the position permanently in the District’s 140-year history.  

"It is an honor and a privilege  to be named the Lone Finalist for the superintendent of schools of El Paso ISD. I want to thank the Board for placing their trust in me to lead this fine district.  I look forward to learning more about this phenomenal community, sharing my passion for education and working alongside a committed group of educators and community leaders to collaboratively shape the future of EPISD," she said. "I have devoted my professional life to public education and will continue to be a champion for children so that every child has access to learning experiences that serve to develop them into the best version of themselves."

Sayavedra is an experienced educator who currently is the Deputy Superintendent of Schools for the Fort Bend Independent School District near Houston, where she previously served as interim superintendent.

A Laredo, Texas, native, Sayavedra is a curriculum and instruction expert who has served as a classroom teacher and campus principal in districts throughout the state.  

She received a bachelor’s of arts in English and physical science from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s of science in education administration from Texas A&M University. She currently is finishing a doctorate in philosophy in education administration from Texas A&M.