Office of the Superintendent

Superintendent Hilario “Larry” Chavez was selected to lead the Santa Fe Public Schools by the SFPS Board of Education on April 17, 2021. He enthusiastically accepted, stating his passion for Santa Fe and intent to take to heart the hopes and dreams of SFPS’ schools, students and staff. He assumed the position on July 1, 2021.

Mr. Chavez is committed to continue doing what works: collaboratively sharing best practices, ensuring a unified group of leaders and addressing the social-emotional needs of staff and students.

Formerly SFPS’ associate superintendent of athletics, activities and school support, Mr. Chavez is a multi-faceted leader who is well versed in the SFPS community and aspects that are critical to educational excellence. His strong skills and experience include a foundation in special education, uplifting secondary education and athletics and collaborating to institute reforms. Mr. Chavez’s collaborative work resulted in increasing the district’s graduation rate to an all-time high of 86.3 percent, marking dramatic growth and surpassing the state’s graduation rate for a second year.

Notable are his strengths in listening to community members and a track record of collaboration.

Through a shared vision for excellence with the Board and community, he is striving to bring learning to new heights in the district.

Mr. Chavez has 13 years of administrative experience, having served the SFPS community in a variety of different leadership roles: associate superintendent of athletics, activities and school support since 2020, assistant superintendent of athletics, activities and school support from 2019-2020, director of athletics and activities from 2017-2019 and special education administrator in 2015.

From 2015-2017, Mr. Chavez was director of education and principal of Sequoyah Adolescent High School in Albuquerque, a program of the New Mexico Department of Health. Prior to that, he was special education coordinator for the U.S. Department of Defense Virtual High School in Wiesbaden, Germany and Quantico, Virginia.

He has also served on the Central Regional Educational Cooperative (CREC) board. The CREC is one of 10 regional educational cooperatives established in 1984 by the New Mexico Department of Education to provide support services to seven rural school districts and four state-supported programs and the families they serve.