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Rio Rancho school board candidates gather for virtual forum
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RIO RANCHO — Four Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education candidates met Wednesday for a forum less than a week away from the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Seth Muller, write-in candidate for District 1; Michael Berry, candidate for District 3; Quinton Middleton, candidate for District 5; and Rebecca Murray, also a candidate for District 5, participated in the forum, moderated by the Observer in the RRPS school boardroom on the district’s campus.
Rudy Garlindo, write-in candidate for District 1, and Dona Tillman, candidate for District 5, did not participate.
Candidates were given an opportunity to answer nine questions, ranging from why they chose to run for office to the biggest issues they believe are facing the district and the qualities they think are needed in the next superintendent.
The candidates are vying for three open seats: District 1 (held by Gary Tripp), District 3 (held by Jeffrey Morgan), and District 5 (held by Jessica Muller). None of the incumbents are running for re-election this year.
The event, held virtually, was closed to the public but streamed live on the RRPS YouTube channel and The Rio Rancho Observer’s Facebook page.
Candidates for the Rio Rancho Public Schools board — Seth Muller (District 1, write-in), Michael Barry (District 3), Rebecca Murray (District 5), and Quinton Middleton — share introductions and tackle key questions. Topics include why they’re running, top challenges (early literacy, behavior, safety, facilities growth, AI in classrooms), what to seek in the next superintendent (integrity, proven instructional leadership, community presence), parent/community engagement, reconnecting families, board vs. administration roles, funding priorities, teacher support, and how to measure district success. It’s a concise look at philosophies and plans ahead of the election.
Motivation and
accomplishmentsWhen the candidates were asked about their motivations for running — as well as what they hoped to accomplish — answers were varied.
Muller, a local emergency manager, has three children attending RRPS. He said he was inspired to run by Beth Pendergrass, a former RRPS employee who died of cancer in June.
“She had always told me this would be a good fit for me ... and it would fall in line with serving,” Muller said.
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With his involvement as an RRPS parent stretching some 16 years, Muller said, “From what I’ve seen, I want to keep it going.”
“I’m not here to get anything personally accomplished; I just want to be able to do the job and do it right,” Muller said.
Berry, an employee at Sandia National Laboratory, also has three children attending RRPS. His job would give him “a nice, data-driven perspective” on the school board, calling education “one of the big pillars” of society. Berry, a product of public schools, noted he was a “difficult student,” so “I’m trying to give back a little bit.”
“Why (do) I want to run? For all the reasons I mentioned before, but I also have a belief I want to serve those around me while I’m alive,” Berry said.
Murray, an RRPS volunteer, said what motivated her to run are her three children, whom she called “my life (and) my love.”
“I love being a part of their day-to-day activities in and out of school, and the next level of that is to serve on the school board,” Murray said.
Middleton, who has two children attending RRPS, is a certified teacher and currently owns a business that helps people overcome alcohol and substance abuse. He said he was motivated to file for school board after two individuals he met at City Hall encouraged him to run.
“I thought to myself, ‘Why not?’ It’s something that I wanted to do in the past,” Middleton said. “By them telling me, ‘Good luck!’ it gave me even more motivation.
He hopes to be an example for students who “may not think they can make something of themselves.”
Biggest challengesThe candidates were also asked about what they thought the biggest challenges facing the district are.
Murray said student reading and math proficiencies, as well as federal funding, are the biggest challenges.
“I’m hoping we can, as a board, work on our reading and math and allocate the budget to help with the cuts from federal funding,” Murray said.
Middleton said one of the school district’s challenges is that “a lot of our kids are growing up too fast.”
“There should be better guidance provided from our parents (and) community leaders,” he said, encouraging students to improve academically, join extracurricular activities, and help their community.
Miller said the district’s biggest challenge is finding a new superintendent. Other challenges include population growth, aging school district facilities and school security.
Berry said three “pressing” challenges for RRPS include behavioral issues among elementary schoolers, reading proficiency and artificial intelligence.
“(Behavioral issues) creates burnout for teachers, (and) it’s a safety issue,” Berry said. “
He cited research that says if a student is not reading on grade level in kindergarten, the odds of them catching up fall 50% every year.
Berry hoped the school district could be “proactive” on AI, which introduces the possibility of academic dishonesty among students. More AI literacy could help solve that, he said.
The next superintendentWith the search for a new superintendent in progess on Election Day to replace Dr. Sue Sue Cleveland, the district’s founding superintendent, who is retiring in the spring, the candidates were asked about the qualities they would like to see in whoever takes over the role. There was a lot of similar sentiment with some varying details.
Middleton said he would like to see the new superintendent have many of the same qualities he has — positivity, honesty, accountability and being a visionary leader.
Muller said his preferred qualities for the next superintendent include being personable and part of the community, working with other superintendents, boards and associations.
Berry said he wants a superintendent with a background in education and someone with a “proven track record” of producing results for a school district.
Murray said she agreed with many of the points made by the other candidates. She added that she would like to see a leader who prioritizes academic achievement, creates clear goals and has the best interest of students in mind.
Cleveland’s tenure was also mentioned by the candidates. Berry said any improvements the new superintendent makes may mean he or she “may not stick around” as long as Cleveland.
“Hopefully, he or she stays a long time, but if not, we’ll be happy that we had a part of it,” Berry said.
Murray added that “a bar was set” by Cleveland and hoped the next superintendent could build on her accomplishments.
