Growing up, Roosevelt Nivens felt hopeless. He struggled to find his calling and, at one point, planned to end his own life.
鈥淛esus spoke to me and said 鈥� 鈥榊ou鈥檙e not going to do this today and you鈥檙e not going to do this ever,鈥欌�� said Nivens, now the superintendent of Lamar Consolidated schools in Texas.
Decades later, on Thursday night, Nivens鈥� calling was clear as he was named the 2026 National Superintendent of the Year, considered the most prestigious award for district leaders.
鈥淚magine if I had not lived within my purpose, how many young people under my leadership would not have had a chance to experience what I wanted to offer,鈥� an emotional Nivens said as he accepted the award.
Nivens has led the 49,000-student Lamar Consolidated district, located southwest of Houston, since 2021. Previously, he was superintendent of Community Independent schools, outside of Dallas, for six years, and an assistant superintendent in Lancaster, Texas, for four years. He also has experience as a high school and middle school principal and a teacher.
The other finalists for the award were: Demetrus Liggins, superintendent of Fayette County, Ky., schools; Sonja Santelises, superintendent of Baltimore City schools; and Heather Perry, superintendent of the Gorham, Maine, school department.
Nivens has led Lamar Consolidated schools through a period of rapid growth鈥攅nrollment has grown by 23% during his tenure and district population analyses predict continued rapid growth, thanks in part to a boom in local housing construction.
鈥榃hatever [students] need is what we鈥檙e going to give them鈥�
During a January panel discussion of the four finalists, Nivens discussed his team鈥檚 philosophy and preparation for federal funding uncertainty for education. He said it鈥檚 superintendents鈥� responsibility to forge new funding paths鈥攚hether from state lawmakers or community organizations鈥攁nd protect students from losing access to services that will set them up for long-term success.
鈥淭o me, when students walk into my district, their last name becomes Nivens, and that means whatever they need is what we鈥檙e going to give them,鈥� Nivens said. 鈥淩egardless of what the federal government does, regardless [of] what our state government does, my kids are going to be taken care of.鈥�
On Thursday, he called on fellow superintendents to center students鈥� needs when the job gets tough.
鈥淭hey need you. They didn鈥檛 ask to be where they are. They didn鈥檛 ask to be born into their situations,鈥� Nivens said. 鈥淲hat they do need, and what they are asking for, is for an adult to advocate for them, and speak life into them, and believe in them. So remember, you are undefeated and you are unstoppable.鈥�
The award was presented here during the National Conference on Education. The award and conference are both sponsored by AASA, The School Superintendents Association.
Finalists for the Superintendent of the Year award are chosen from winners of the state superintendent-of-the-year contests. They鈥檙e evaluated on four criteria: how their creative leadership meets students鈥� needs, communication skills, professionalism, and community involvement. An AASA panel of judges then selects the winner.
A student attending either the high school from which the superintendent graduated or a school in the Lamar Consolidated district will receive a $10,000 scholarship in Nivens鈥� name.
