Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora is not yet superintendent but she has already made her mark.

The lone finalist for the district’s top job, Salazar-Zamora is currently the chief academic officer and spearheaded the brand new Tomball Star Academy.

“Part of what makes Tomball special is that it is a small town with a big heart. It is like a family,” Salazar-Zamora said.

The district named Salazar-Zamora the lone finalist on Feb 9. She will replace current superintendent Huey Kinchen after he officially retires on March 31.

Salazar-Zamora says she has the challenge of helping a growing district maintain its personal touch.

“As the Tomball area continues to grow, I hope that we can keep that small town feel that makes Tomball so special,” Salazar-Zamora said.

The district is already working on a five year plan, part of which includes the Tomball Star Academy housed at Tomball High School.

“It is a four year program,” Salazar-Zamora explained. “Freshmen and sophomores will take classes upstairs in Tomball High School, and juniors and seniors will go over to Lone Star College for their classes. As students graduate, the will already have two years of college completed. There are going to be about 125 students in each class, with a total of 500 students in the program. After the first round of interviews [for the program], I am excited about the group that is enrolling. They all seem very excited and passionate.”

However the Tomball Star Academy is not the only sign of growth. There are plans for additional schools already in the works.

“We need a new elementary school and a new junior high school, and because of growth we will need to add on to Tomball Memorial High School,” Salazar-Zamora said.

She did warn that the district faces some challenges, including uncertainty from the federal level that could impact funding for many of the district’s programs. But until more is known, there’s not much the district can do but watch and be ready to react.

Salazar-Zamora returned to Tomball ISD in 2014 with her husband and two daughters. She previously worked in Round Rock ISD and was the assistant superintendent for Houston ISD for four years. She is excited to begin her new position as Tomball’s superintendent.

“My favorite thing [about Tomball] are the kids,” Salazar-Zamora said. “I love the kids.”