SAN ANTONIO — The Northside Independent School District board of trustees voted to name Jessica Palomares as interim superintendent. Palomares will begin her role as interim superintendent on Aug. 1.

The appointment follows the retirement of Superintendent John Craft, who served the district for three years. Craft has worked in education for 27 years and will transition into a superintendent emeritus role upon his departure.

Palomares has worked for the Northside Independent School District for 30 years. She is an alumna of Holmes High School and has served as the assistant superintendent for elementary administration since 2021.

Her career within the district includes roles as a special education teacher, behavior mastery teacher, vice principal, principal of multiple elementary schools, director of elementary administration, and executive director of elementary administration. The board selected her from a pool of internal applicants after directing staff to seek candidates for the temporary leadership position.

The Northside Independent School District is working to find a permanent replacement for the superintendent position. The board plans to engage a search firm to identify a long-term candidate, with the goal of hiring a permanent superintendent by January or February 2027.

The leadership change occurs as the district addresses financial and enrollment challenges. Northside ISD's enrollment has decreased from 108,000 students to 95,500 since the pandemic. Financial reports indicate a $38 million budget shortfall for the 2026 school year.

To address the deficit, the district is considering a tax rate increase of three cents. This measure would also support a 2% raise for employees. The board approved Craft's voluntary retirement agreement on June 28, 2026, prior to selecting Palomares for the interim role.