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Profile: ROOSEVELT NIVENS

As a child growing up in Langston, Okla., Roosevelt Nivens was well-acquainted with despair. He struggled with learning to read, wilting under cutting remarks and dismissive attitudes from some of his teachers. At one point, he had suicidal thoughts.

As an adult educator, Roosevelt Nivens is fiercely committed to removing barriers, expanding opportunities that lead to hopefulness and hiring great teachers for all 49,200 students in his care. He is the fifth-year superintendent of Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, one of the largest and fastest-growing districts in Texas. Located southwest of Houston, the district sprawls over 385 square miles and has added about 2,000 new students every year for the past five years.

鈥淭he word is out about Lamar CISD,鈥� Nivens says.

The word is out about Nivens, too. He was named the 2026 National Superintendent of the Year at AASA鈥檚 national conference in February.

鈥淗e鈥檚 a once-in-a-lifetime man. I really feel that,鈥� says Mike Shepard, who was school board president in Community ISD in north Texas when Nivens was superintendent there previously.

Nivens has opened 15 new schools in Lamar, five last August alone. He鈥檚 overseen the passage of two facility bonds totaling nearly $3.5 billion to address what he calls 鈥渉ypergrowth and underfunding鈥� from the state.

That means keeping a careful eye on the future. With new housing developments sprouting everywhere, Nivens has arranged to receive quarterly demographic reports with drone-flyover photos of the entire district, so he and the board can monitor and plan for escalating growth.

Lamar鈥檚 board president Jacci Hotzel praises Nivens for his steady leadership in the face of such challenges 鈥� and for encouraging others to be steady under pressure, as well. 鈥淥ne of the things he鈥檒l tell me is, 鈥楯acci, you鈥檝e got to ride the bull longer than eight seconds,鈥欌�� she says.

To ensure no student confronts the hopelessness that he experienced as a youth, Nivens wants his schools to deliver an elite education that meets each student鈥檚 specific needs.

For example, he championed the launch of a new in-school charter school for students with autism. The Bright Futures Academy at Beasley Elementary will open in August with 100 young students, who will learn self-regulation skills along with their academics. When they鈥檙e ready, they can transition into classrooms with same-age peers.

In August, the district will also open a new career and technical education center with 800 students able to choose coursework in culinary arts, automotive, cosmetology and more. But grand openings haven鈥檛 distracted Nivens from improving long-standing programs. He helped one elementary school progress from a 鈥淒鈥� to an 鈥淎鈥� rating on the Texas Academic Performance Report 鈥� and earn a National Blue Ribbon School award in 2025.

Underscoring Nivens鈥� approach to leadership is his belief in what he calls 鈥渟peaking life鈥� to encourage students who may be suffering or struggling. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e my whole purpose and passion,鈥� he says.

He鈥檚 ready for them with open arms, too. People regularly encounter Nivens wearing a 鈥淔ree Hugs鈥� t-shirt.. The superintendent has a closet stocked with custom-made shirts promoting hugs with variations to mark special occasions.

His commitment to students鈥� best interests always has defined him, says Michael McFarland, who was superintendent in Lancaster, Texas, when Nivens was a high school principal there.

鈥淗e is a bright and shining light in the field of public education,鈥� he says.

Jennifer Larson is a freelance writer in Nashville, Tenn.