Board of Education announces finalists for LCPS Superintendent

The Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education has selected two finalists to fill the permanent superintendent position. The candidates are Ralph Ramos, who is currently the interim superintendent, and Dr. Oscar Rico from the Canutillo Independent School District.  

The two will be part of a facilitated forum Wednesday, May 26 at 6 p.m. The event will be livestreamed and is open to the public for viewing. Questions will be moderated by the Superintendent Search Advisory Committee, an eight-member group of parents, LCPS staff, community members and a student. Board President Ray Jaramillo serves as chair.  

Ramos has been in the interim position since being selected March 1. The decision came after the sudden and tragic loss of superintendent Dr. Karen Trujillo, who died Feb. 25. Ramos began his 28-year career with LCPS in 1992 as an eighth-grade science teacher at Picacho Middle School. In 2000, he moved to Sierra Middle School where he was quickly named Assistant Principal. In 2006, he was named the Assistant Principal at Vista Middle School and in 2009 became the principal at Camino Real Middle School. He has both a bachelor’s and master's degree from New Mexico State University.  

Rico is currently the Executive Director of Information Technology at Canutillo ISD. He has spent the last 18 years of his career in various leadership capacities in education, including assistant principal at Franklin High School in El Paso and he was the principal at Alderete Middle School in Canutillo. In 2011, he received his doctorate in education from the University of Texas at El Paso. 

Following the forum, the board is expected to announce their selection for the position at their June 1 work session, which will start at 4 p.m. at the Dr. Karen M. Trujillo Administration Complex.  

The forum can be viewed at www.livestream.com/lcpstv.