KAMC News reports that in mid-November of 2020, Gaines County Sheriff's Deputies were called to Seagraves High School after a digital recording device had been found in the visiting girls' locker room. On security footage from the school, Goen can be seen entering the locker room from the hall but not leaving. The footage then shows a girls' basketball team arrive for a game. 3 videos on the recording device were examined. The first one only showed an empty locker room, the second showed a girls' team entering the locker room, and the third video was interrupted by the device being unplugged. It's said other videos on the device showed Goen, who was positively identified by an FBI Special Agent. Goen was officially informed of the investigation on November 22nd and a week later was placed on administrative leave. He was arrested on Monday, December 5th and his home was searched by FBI and other law enforcement the day after. Read More: Additional Details on Arrest of Seagraves ISD Superintendent | https://kfyo.com/additional-details-on-the-arrest-of-the-seagraves-isd-superintendent/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral view article

The Midland ISD board unanimously picked Crane ISD Superintendent Stephanie Howard as the lone finalist for the vacant superintendent position. Howard was the principal at San Jacinto Junior High (2004-07) and the former Lee High School (2007-13). After leaving Midland ISD, she became a superintendent at Plains ISD, a deputy superintendent at Ector County ISD and then superintendent at Crane ISD last year. view article

McKinney ISD is looking to choose a new superintendent by late February, according to the district's board president. After current McKinney ISD Superintendent Dr. Rick McDaniel announced his retirement on Dec. 2, the district is looking ahead to a selection process for its new leader. On Wednesday, Dec. 7, MISD Board President Amy Dankel released a letter addressing next steps. McKinney ISD superintendent announces retirement McKinney ISD superintendent announces retirement McKinney ISD Superintendent Dr. Rick McDaniel announced the morning of Friday, Dec. 2 that h… MISD is slated to start working with an outside firm within the next week to help with the process. In December and January, the firm is expected to provide for community and stakeholder input opportunities, allowing participants to outline characteristics they'd like to see in a new leader. That includes focus groups, community meetings and surveys, Dankel stated.    (08) view article

On December 5, the Lamesa ISD Board of Trustees voted to hire TASB Executive Search Services (ESS) to conduct a search for a new superintendent. The application deadline is TBA. Details and updates will appear on our searches page as things progress.    (08) read more

Southwest ISD Board of Trustees will host a special meeting Tuesday night, they will be reviewing applications and the interviewing process will be the next step in moving forward in considering who will be the next superintendent for the district. That discussion will be in a closed session. The board is working with the Texas Association of School Boards regarding the superintendent search. The current superintendent, Dr. Lloyd Verstuyft was a graduate from southwest high school himself. His last day on the job in this role is expected at end of this school year.    (07) view article

McKinney ISD Superintendent Dr. Rick McDaniel announced the morning of Friday, Dec. 2 that he will be retiring from his role. "After 35 years in public education and nearly 8 years serving as the superintendent of McKinney ISD, I have decided to retire," he stated in a letter to the community that was published to Facebook. "It is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever made. Many people ask the question, 'When will you know that it’s time to retire?' It’s my belief that there is no magic sign or perfect time. You just know." McDaniel served as the first principal for McKinney Boyd High School when it opened, a role that McDaniel said was "was one of the most rewarding and meaningful times of my career." Through his career, he also served as a middle school teacher and coach, a high school teacher and coach, an assistant principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. view article

DONNA, Texas (ValleyCentral) — More women are taking on leadership roles in school districts across Texas for the 2021-2022 academic year compared to men. 281 women were certified this year to become superintendents in Texas schools; that’s compared to 164 men. In Donna, the school district has recently welcomed their first female superintendent since its creation one hundred years ago. “When you have adverse childhood experiences or a difficult upbringing, sometimes that creates grit and perseverance that pushes us and drives us to be successful,” Angela Dominguez, Donna ISD Superintendent said. Born to 16-year-old parents in San Antonio and raised by a single father, Dominguez was brought up in one of the poorest school districts in Texas. She graduated from Dartmouth College, a private Ivy League research university, and one of the most prestigious institutions in the United States. view article

The McKinney ISD board of trustees discussed what it would like to see in the search process for the district’s next superintendent during a special meeting Dec. 6.  MISD Superintendent Rick McDaniel announced Dec. 2 his intention to retire at the end of the 2022-23 school year after almost eight years in the position. McDaniel’s education career spans more than 35 years.  Board President Amy Dankel said she recommended that to be the most fair to all candidates, each of the board members should be present during the interviews, and to check their individual calendars and to let her know if there are any dates in the spring where they would not be able to conduct an interview.  Board Member Philip Hassler noted this was his first time to go through the process of finding a new superintendent and said he wanted to make sure the process was as “transparent and communicative” as possible. view article

A local area superintendent has been arrested following a week long FBI investigation. On November 22nd Seagraves High School Principal, Daylan Sellers, was notified of an investigation by local law enforcement into a school employee and an emergency local school board meeting was held. It was agreed by the school board that Seagraves ISD Superintendent, Joshua Goen, was to be placed on a paid administrative leave.  Just a week after Goen's administrative leave a search warrant was signed by a federal judge and served the morning of December 2nd directly to his home. Investigators with the FBI, Seagraves Police Department and Gaines County Sheriff's Office searched the home shortly after arresting Goen Goen, as per the publishing of this article, is currently in custody of the Gaines County Sheriff's Office. Goen has been charged with Invasive Visual Recording and is currently being held on a $75,000 bond. At this time is unknown if the charges against Goen occurred within any of the Seagraves ISD campuses or off campus; Invasive Visual Recording is considered a State Jail Felony in the State of Texas. view article

PHARR, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The PSJA Independent School District and its superintendent came to an agreement Monday on a severance package Monday, initiating Jorge Arrendondo’s departure as the district’s top administrator. The school board will begin a search for Arredondo’s replacement, the district added. The district announced the decision on its website with a statement from Arredondo. “It has been an incredible honor to have served the students and families at PSJA,” Arredondo said. “With a heavy heart, I announce my departure from PSJA. I leave proudly to know that PSJA is on solid ground. I am grateful to the community at PSJA for allowing me to lead while working together to turn challenges into opportunities for our students and staff to thrive.”    (5) view article

Following the sudden resignation of Judson ISD Superintendent Jeanette Ball in late November, the Judson ISD board of trustees named an interim superintendent as it begins laying the groundwork to search for a superintendent. After a more than two hour closed session Thursday, the board voted 5-2 to appoint Milton Fields, former deputy superintendent of student support services, as interim superintendent. While the board unanimously accepted Ball’s resignation, trustees Suzanne Kenoyer and Renée A. Paschall voted no on the motion to appoint Fields. In closed session, the board discussed an agenda item regarding “employee concerns.” When the board reconvened, trustees unanimously voted to continue the discussion in closed session.  The board also unanimously voted to begin the request for qualifications for a superintendent search firm.   (06) view article

Godley ISD school board trustees extended the contract of Superintendent Rich Dear during a special meeting on Friday at Legacy Elementary School.The board gathered to conduct an evaluation of the superintendent and then were unanimous in extending Dear’s contract with a new five-term ending in June 2028.  “Dr. Dear has been with this district for over 17 years and has been our lead learner for 11 years. He has guided this district through unprecedented growth and many unforeseen challenges we have faced in the last few years,” board President Matt McKittrick said. “The unanimous action taken by the board to extend his contract shows that the board and the community as a whole support the direction of our school district. We are proud to have Dr. Dear and his family as members of our community.”  School trustees will next meet Dec. 12. Board meetings are held at Godley High School, 9501 Texas 171.    (06) view article

SEAGRAVES, Texas (KCBD) - Seagraves ISD Superintendent Joshua Neil Goen is in the Gaines County Jail charged with invasive visual recording. The Gaines County Sheriff’s Office confirmed deputies worked with the Seagraves Police Department to arrest Goen on Monday without incident. On Tuesday, multiple agencies served a federal warrant at Goen’s Seagraves home. The FBI, Seagraves police officers and Gaines County Sheriff’s deputies searched Goen’s home for hours. view article

DALLAS — Dr. Michael Hinojosa, the former superintendent for the Dallas Independent School District, will not run for Dallas mayor as had been widely expected by political watchers. Reached by phone on Tuesday afternoon, Hinojosa confirmed to WFAA that he has no plans to run for mayor now. When asked why he’s choosing not to pursue politics presently, Hinojosa said it’s “bad timing” for him right now. Hinojosa’s announcement earlier this year that he would leave Dallas ISD was a bombshell in local politics. It had been widely believed that he was departing the top role at the state’s second largest school district to run for mayor. Campaign consultants told WFAA at the time that Hinojosa was readying for a career in politics. But since leaving Dallas ISD in July, Hinojosa has been busy as a consultant for several large educational clients. And consulting is far more lucrative financially than politics. view article

SEAGRAVES, Texas — Seagraves ISD confirmed Monday that Superintendent Joshua Goen was placed on paid administrative leave due to an FBI investigation into him. Seagraves High School Principal Daylan Sellers said the school was informed by law enforcement on November 22 that an investigation into Goen was ongoing. Sellers said Goen was placed on administrative leave due to the seriousness of the investigation. Sellers said Seagraves ISD was fully cooperating with the investigation.    (06) view article

Improving third-grade scores and the number of graduates ready for college are among DISD trustees’ goals for the new leader.  Dallas schools trustees have ambitious goals for Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde to improve student achievement — and she can earn big if she meets them.  Trustees want at least 41% of Dallas ISD third graders reading on grade level by the end of the year, putting the district on track to reach 56% by June 2025. If Elizalde can facilitate this, she’d earn a $20,000 bonus.  The metric is one of five incentives trustees decided to include in its annual superintendent evaluation. The incentives mirror the district’s overall student outcome goals, which the board approved last month  “I for one deeply appreciate the direct alignment between the evaluation and what this board unanimously agreed [are] the most important things for the school district,” trustee Ben Mackey said. “It is easy to look at what the board set as its goals and how we are tracking progress toward them.”  These stretch goals are based on students’ academic performance and will be measured against how children did during the 2018-19 school year. After approving Elizalde’s three-year contract in July, trustees said the metrics were intended to be “challenging but attainable.”  Elizalde would earn an additional $20,000 for each goal met for a potential total of $100,000. view article

Seguin ISD Superintendent Matthew Gutierrez’s bid for a position at a another Upper Midwest school district ended after the first interview. It was announced Monday night that Anoka-Hennepin Schools named Gutierrez as one of five candidates for the role of superintendent of the largest school district in Minnesota, and he was interviewed Tuesday. Then on Wednesday it was announced that two candidates of five would move on to the second interview — Gutierrez wasn’t among the two named. A local media outlet quoted a Facebook post written by Gutierrez claiming he withdrew his name from candidacy, however, the Anoka-Hennepin Schools could not confirm that. view article

AUSTIN, Texas — December 1 marks the first board meeting for the newly elected trustees of the Austin Independent School District. The new members will be immediately inheriting a just-approved multi-billion-dollar bond project and the search for a new school superintendent.  Longtime president of Education Austin, Ken Zarifis, has seen his share of superintendent searches in his decades in Austin.  He recalls, “Superintendent searches have been private and have been a real mixed bag of success with people coming in and out very quickly. We think a more open process would find someone that meets the demands of a public figure much more.”    (5) view article

A little more than a week after the board of trustees for the Judson Independent School District accepted Jeanette Ball’s immediate resignation as superintendent, the district released a joint statement on Ball’s sudden departure. In the joint statement, Ball and the board said her resignation was “in their respective best interests and the best interests of the District.” The statement was cordial and respectful, and it commended Ball for the success of the district under her leadership. But it didn’t explain why she abruptly left the district in the middle of the school year. view article

SAN ANTONIO — Judson Independent School District trustees voted late Thursday to name Milton “Rob” Fields III as interim superintendent to replace Jeannette Ball, whose sudden resignation has gone without explanation by her and the board. Fields, the deputy superintendent of student support services, will lead the district while the board searches for a permanent leader. The vote to appoint him was 5-2, with trustees Renee Paschall and Suzanne Kenoyer dissenting. After two lengthy but inconclusive meetings on Ball’s annual evaluation, the board unanimously approved a resignation agreement Nov. 21, less than two weeks after Judson voters authorized a major bond to upgrade security and build new schools. Board members have not described reasons for her departure, though Paschall said Ball had lost the backing of a majority of the board and was left with little choice but to resign. “A 7-0 vote does not necessarily mean that no one had reservations,” Paschall said of the resignation agreement in an email before Thursday’s meeting. “The community does not realize that the Office of the Superintendent did not have full board support.” Another trustee, Jose Macias, has denied accusations aired on social media last week that trustees had worked to undermine Ball. The online reaction also included some who criticized Ball’s treatment of district employees.    (2) view article

The Judson ISD board of trustees met on Dec. 1 to discuss the appointment of an interim superintendent while the board searches for a new superintendent. After a closed session discussion, the board in a 5-2 vote appointed Milton “Rob” Fields III, deputy superintendent of student support services, as the interim superintendent, with Trustees Suzanne Kenoyer and Renée A. Paschall voting against. The board also approved a request for qualifications for a superintendent search firm. This discussion is due to the resignation of Jeanette Ball, who announced her resignation in November. On Nov. 21, the board of Trustees approved a resignation agreement which would pay Ball $140,000 and end her time as superintendent, effective immediately. view article

After accepting the resignation of Superintendent Jon Orozco, the Charlotte ISD school board motioned and approved to move Charlotte High School Principal Roger Solis as the interim superintendent at their Nov. 14 special school board meeting. Cyndy Zuniga motioned to appoint Solis and was seconded by Christina Campos. The motion was approved after a 6-1 vote. Matt Wagner voted against. Solis has gathered years of experience as an administrator including four years as the Charlotte Junior High Principal and recently as the high school principal at Dilley ISD. “It’s an exciting opportunity,” said Solis. “I’ve been working towards this opportunity. I’m very proud to have been selected and also humbled that they have this much faith and trust in me to do this position. I’m going to do my best job for the students and the district as a whole. Charlotte has a long tradition of pride within the district and I want to make sure we continue that pride moving forward. I’m very proud to be selected and I’m going to work the hardest I can to make sure the district is successful.” (1) view article

The PSJA Independent School District has pre-ordered 500 doses of the updated COVID-19 booster shots. The district says that with the new variant being more contagious, they’re doing their best to be proactive. “There’s been different variants of COVID-19 and with the changes there comes a need for protection against those different variants," said PSJA Director of Health Services Sulema Solis. "So, it’s important that the parents get their children vaccinated.” PSJA ISD says while waiting on the updated boosters to arrive, they’re working to set up clinics any way they can. “We can go out to the schools and vaccinate there if we have to,” Solis said. DHR Health reported Friday it received 9,000 doses of the updated Pfizer booster shot. Meanwhile, the city of Harlingen received 300 booster shots. view article

Midway Independent School District’s school board is preparing to wade into a weekend full of interviews with candidates seeking to replace Superintendent George Kazanas, who has served in the role for a decade. The trustees were set to view the names of five superintendent candidates for the first time in a closed-door meeting Tuesday evening, setting the stage for a series of interviews Friday through Sunday. view article

“If you know my story, you know … no one would’ve expected me to be a superintendent or educator at all,” says LaTonya Goffney, now going on her fourth year leading Aldine Independent School District in Houston, Texas, and her 15th overall as a superintendent in the Lone Star State. Though her grandmother and grandfather, who raised her, had only a 5th grade and 3rd grade education respectively, Goffney says they — along with her teachers and others — instilled “the power” of education in her from an early age. “Education truly changed the trajectory of my life,” Goffney says. She was the first in her family to go to college, and she always wanted the opportunity to make a difference.    (29) view article

Judson ISD’s Superintendent Jeanette Ball suddenly tenured her resignation this week. The school board accepted that resignation on Monday during a special meeting. The board also approved a $140,000 severance package for Bell for "agreeing" to resign. The board did not go into details about why Ball resigned. Ball had been with Judson since 2018 when she joined as superintendent. She was previously superintendent of the Uvalde school district from 2013 to 2018. view article

Capping days of secret talks, the Judson Independent School District board voted to give Superintendent Jeanette Ball a $140,000 payment, more than half of her annual salary, to buy out a contract that doesn’t expire until 2025. The move came late Monday after the board failed to approve her annual evaluation last week despite two lengthy discussions. It also came weeks after the district secured voter approval of a $345 million bond proposal that Ball had worked to pass. Ball could not be reached for comment.  Bill Atkins, the assistant superintendent of finance and operations, took to Ball’s defense as the sole public commenter at the start of Monday’s special meeting, saying her heart for staff and students was “her strength, and also her downfall.”    (28) view article

Paradise ISD could choose its next superintendent as early as next week. Paradise school board members narrowed its pool of finalists to three following a series of interviews this week. Trustees plan to interview the final three candidates Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, with the possibility of voting to select a lone finalist after each meeting. After posting the position in October, the district received 38 applications for the job, including 15 from current superintendents, Townsend said. Townsend added the announcement of a finalist could potentially come down after the Thanksgiving break on Nov. 28. Leasor Crass is leading Paradise’s superintendent search. view article

Local superintendents focused on the excellence of their respective school districts during a luncheon event for local businesses. Garland ISD Superintendent Ricardo Lopez and Wylie ISD Superintendent David Vinson spoke at the Sachse Chamber of Commerce luncheon Tuesday, Nov. 8, at Chase Oaks Woodbridge Campus. Wylie ISD Superintendent David Vinson highlighted the character-based education of the district and its high ratings with the Texas Education Agency. Vinson, superintendent since 2011, said it was important for the district to recognize student accomplishments and those with good character, which is what the Wylie Way is all about. “[During] The last nine weeks of school in Wylie, we spend our time celebrating and showing the gratitude for who got our kids there,” Vinson said. “One of the things we want to make sure you know is the center and focus are the teachers and principals who make this happen.” view article

Returning from an 80-minute closed session Thursday, the Boyd ISD board of trustees reached a unanimous decision regarding the lone finalist for the district’s top educator position. Board president Kyle Erwin announced current Karnes City superintendent Hector Madrigal as Boyd ISD’s next superintendent during a regular meeting inside the district’s board room. “It’s a wonderful day today,” Madrigal said. “I’m […  Board president Kyle Erwin announced current Karnes City superintendent Hector Madrigal as Boyd ISD’s next superintendent during a regular meeting inside the district’s board room.  “It’s a wonderful day today,” Madrigal said. “I’m excited about working in a great school district with some great people. From the few people that I’ve met — some of the board members, administrators and staff members — I know this is going to be a great opportunity.”   Madrigal was interested in leading Boyd ISD due to the district’s focus on academics, projected growth and proximity to family. view article

The Austin ISD school board said it wants to name a new interim superintendent Dec. 15 as it continues the search for a permanent leader. “We are inviting applicants both internal and external to Austin ISD, and we are seeking applicants to serve solely in the role of interim — not people who might wish to fill the permanent superintendent role,” outgoing School Board President Geronimo Rodriguez said in a statement on behalf of the current and incoming trustees.` An application for the position will be posted by Nov. 17. The trustees, who met Tuesday night to figure out a game plan, said they will hold a short series of listening sessions before hiring someone for the temporary role. Anthony Mays announced he was leaving AISD two days after the Nov. 8 election in which voters approved the district’s historic $2.44 billion bond and elected four new members to the AISD board. view article

Austin ISD's Board of Trustees, with four new members coming on in January, already expected a busy new year hiring a superintendent. Now, with interim leader Anthony Mays leaving to take the helm at Alief ISD in Harris County, the new board will be diving straight into hiring another interim by Dec. 15, per outgoing Board Pres­ident Gero­ni­mo Rodriguez's statement released Wednesday. "I think [the new trustees] are going to hit the ground running, not only because of their preparation, but because they kind of have no choice," Arati Singh, who won reelection in Place 9, told the Chronicle. "There's something about selecting a leader that brings a board together, because it really forces us to distill what we think the district needs right now." view article

The Austin Independent School District said Tuesday night it would have an announcement Wednesday morning about the search for an interim superintendent. AISD tweeted about the announcement at 10:30 p.m. following a nearly three-and-a-half-hour private meeting between newly elected and current trustees. view article

Charlotte ISD Superintendent Jon Orozco announced his resignation at Charlotte’s School Board meeting Monday night. Orozco, who was hired by the district in January, stated he will use the opportunity to spend more time with his family. After an executive session, the school board motioned and approved to hire high school principal Roger Solis as the interim superintendent. “I, Jon Orozco, am submitting my retirement paperwork as of December 22, 2022,” Orozco said as he read off his resignation to the trustees. “I have thoroughly enjoyed 30 years of service in public education and completing my 30th year as the superintendent of schools for Charlotte ISD. Working with the students, staff, faculty, community and the board of Charlotte nation has been a privilege and a joy. I appreciate the professionalism that has been shown back-and-forth.” During his final remarks, Orozco thanked the school board and members of the community before being reminded by a school board member he had 30 seconds left to speak. His resignation was submitted a week after Athletic Director Ben Jacobs submitted his letter of resignation to the school board.    (17) view article

The Highland Park ISD board of trustees Nov. 8 approved a $29,900 contract with the search firm Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates (HYA) to conduct the search process for the district’s next superintendent. Dr. Tom Trigg, the district’s eighth superintendent since 1914, announced at the Oct. 11 school board meeting that he will resign effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. He’s served in that role since 2015.  Members of the board interviewed firms Nov. 1 and 2. view article