The Miami-Dade School Board will publicly interview its two superintendent finalists Wednesday, July 29, and plans to select a new leader the same day. The decision will directly affect Aventura City of Excellence School, Don Soffer Aventura High School and Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High.
The board voted at a special meeting Wednesday, July 22, to advance South Region Superintendent Rafael Villalobos and Broward County Public Schools Chief Human Resources Officer Ernie Lozano as the final two candidates, according to WLRN and WSVN.
Villalobos earned unanimous support from all eight board members. Lozano cleared the five-vote threshold with six yes votes; only Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall of District 2 and Roberto Alonso of District 4 voted against advancing him.
The other six board members who voted yes on both finalists: Joe Geller (District 3), Danny Espino (District 5), Board Chair Mari Tere Rojas (District 6), Mary Blanco (District 7), Vice Chair Monica Colucci (District 8) and Luisa Santos (District 9). The District 1 seat is vacant after former member Steve Gallon left for the Miami-Dade County Commission.
A field of 21 narrowed to two finalists
The search began with 21 applicants. Eight met minimum qualifications, and board members each selected up to three semifinalists, producing a shortlist of six. At the July 22 meeting, candidates needed five or more votes to advance to finalist.
Villalobos has served as the district's South Region superintendent since 2022 after more than a decade as a school principal. He is a Nova Southeastern University graduate and attended South Miami Senior High. Lozano oversees human resources for Broward County Public Schools and previously worked as a teacher and assistant principal, with a focus on school safety initiatives.
Board members clash over how open the process was
Not everyone on the board was satisfied with the process. District 9 member Luisa Santos said she was "disappointed" to see only two finalists advance.
"I personally do not feel like we are doing right by our community's request of us to be able to be a part of that process," Santos said at the July 22 meeting, according to WLRN.
Board Chair Rojas pushed back, saying she had "never witnessed so much public input" as during the current search. District 3 member Joe Geller cautioned that allowing the public to pose questions directly to candidates could create a "spectacle."
A shrinking district awaits new leadership
The new superintendent will inherit a district of roughly 313,220 students enrolled for the 2025-26 school year, down about 13,000 from the prior year. Current Superintendent Jose Dotres, hired in January 2022 to replace Alberto Carvalho, is not expected to have his contract renewed when it expires Feb. 14, 2027. Under Dotres, the district reported a 93.1% graduation rate for 2024-25, according to WLRN.
A vote expected within hours of the interviews
The board will hold a special meeting Wednesday, July 29, to publicly interview Villalobos and Lozano. According to WSVN, the board plans to vote on a final selection the same day. The time and location have not been announced. Families can check dadeschools.net for meeting details and livestream information.
