The Pasadena Independent School District (ISD) Board of Trustees, unanimously, named Pasadena ISD Deputy Superintendent Dr. Toni Lopez as Pasadena ISD’s Superintendent. Dr. Lopez will replace Superintendent Dr. DeeAnn Powell who is retiring and will take on the role of Superintendent Emeritus until her official retirement date.

Before a packed board room, Pasadena ISD Board President Casey Phelan stated the Board has followed a lengthy process in choosing Lopez as the Superintendent.

“As your elected board of trustees, we diligently followed a lengthy process led by Texas Association of School Boards Executive Search Service consultants in selecting a new superintendent for Pasadena ISD,” said School Board President Casey Phelan.

Phelan added that TASB consultants met with staff and community groups in December of 2024 to discuss leadership qualities of the new superintendent. The profile developed from these efforts was utilized by trustees and consultants in searching for and evaluating each applicant for the position.

Phelan noted that the board focused its efforts on finding a solution-driven leader who was well acquainted with challenges faced at Texas at the legislative level, as well as the challenges confronted by Pasadena students, families, and employees each day. 

“We also searched for someone who was capable of building upon our successes and had a real vision for the future,” Phelan added. “We’re happy to report that we found such a candidate right here in PISD who has been a formidable champion for our students, families, and faculty.    

Dr. Lopez has 28 years of proven experience as an educational leader with a strong history of creating high functioning teams ensuring effective leadership of school and district level operations.

She began her career in PISD as a teacher at Beverly Hills Intermediate, then progressed to the role of assistant principal there.

She went on to be named Principal at Thompson Intermediate where she was once recognized as the Pasadena ISD Secondary Principal of the Year. 

She progressed  to Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction where she pioneered Pasadena Personalized Learning which laid the foundation for the current Portrait of a Graduate model that drives academic decision making in Pasadena ISD today.

Dr. Lopez later became the Associate Superintendent of Human Resources she worked diligently to hire qualified candidates and retain fundamentally vital employees. 

During her three (3) year leadership as Deputy Superintendent of Staff and Academic Achievement, all 6 high schools ranked as best High Schools in US News and World Report and College Career and Military Readiness increased by 16%. 

“Most importantly,” Phelan concluded, “she is dedicated and driven to build upon our mission and vision to empower students to become accomplished, self-directed, collaborative, lifelong learners who boldly contribute to an increasingly complex and evolving world by providing unlimited opportunities to engage in positive relationships, rigorous curriculum, and innovative meaningful experiences.”