Plumbing 
Ashley Chohlis, courtesy photo
School trustees selected Ashley Chohlis, the superintendent of Poth Independent School District, as the lone finalist to serve as Uvalde’s next superintendent.
Chohlis was one of more than 30 candidates who initially applied for the position, district spokesperson Anne Marie Espinoza said.
The decision came after a four-hour closed session meeting held Nov. 6 in the district’s central office. Chohlis will replace interim superintendent Gary Patterson.
Patterson, who was always meant to serve in a temporary role, first joined the district in November of 2022 following the fall resignation of then-superintendent Hal Harrell.
The decision was unanimous among trustees, according to a news release emailed late Monday.
Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District officially entered the search for Patterson’s permanent replacement in late August of this year and conducted a string of closed-door meetings last month to review applications and conduct first-round interviews. No action was taken during the board’s Oct. 23, 30 and 31 closed meetings.
The district must now wait a state-mandated 21 days before finalizing Chohlis’s contract. If all goes according to plan, Chohlis will officially claim the seat effective Nov. 27, the district said.
In the release, the district states board president Luis Fernandez said he was confident in trustees’ choice.
“Fernandez believes that Ashley Chohlis will bring her passion and dedication to the role and make a positive impact on the education system in our district,” the release read.
Chohlis brings 28 years of education experience, a Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Family Relationships, and a master’s degree in educational administration. She attended undergrad at the University of Texas at Austin and graduate school at Texas A&M in Kingsville. She has had her certification in superintendency, which she earned at the University of Texas at Tyler, for nearly a decade. She’s also married with four children, three of which attend East Central’s CAST Lead High School, according to the district news release.
She has been at Poth ISD since May of 2022. Prior to Poth, she worked at East Central.
Sofi Zeman (szeman@ulnnow.com, 830-278-3335) covers education and crime for the Uvalde Leader-News as a Report for America corps member. Report for America (www.reportforamerica.org) is a national service program that places talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered topics and communities across the United States and its territories.
