Ortiz appointed as interim superintendent at Magdalena Schools

The Magdalena Municipal Schools Board unanimously appointed Kim Ortiz as interim Superintendent to serve until June 30, 2026, at a salary of $150,000 beginning Oct. 20.

The board also unanimously voted to accept Bickert’s resignation at its October 9 meeting.

“We wish him (Bickert) and his family the best of luck in the future. Although his style of leadership and what we wanted for Magdalena School District did not agree, despite the differences we had, do not doubt our commitment in trying to make Magdalena the best it can be,” School Board President Lynn Major said.

During the public comment, Scott Brantley said he wanted the board to make decisions that are beneficial to the students.

Before appointing Ortiz, board members went into executive session at 1:11 p.m. to interview candidates for the interim superintendent position, which concluded at 4:54 p.m.

Ortiz was one of the top three candidates for superintendent for Socorro Consolidated Schools in December 2024. She was also the former Executive Director of Personnel at Socorro School, according to a previous El Defensor Chieftain article.

After only two months as superintendent, Bickert submitted his letter of resignation. Bickert said after deep reflection following the executive session at the Sept. 15 meeting he decided to resign immediately, although he didn’t offer specific names, he noted inappropriate behavior by a group of adults contributing his decision to departure.

In a special board meeting after Bickert’s resignation, Principal Chris Backstrom was named interim superintendent.

Major said until Ortiz assumes the role, Backstrom will serve as acting superintendent at a daily rate of $300.