Harrold ISD selects Lone Finalist

June 1805:00 AM

 

The Harrold ISD School Board has selected Cody Patton, who currently serves as Director of Operations at Tioga ISD, as the lone finalist for their superintendent position.   (18) read more

Ricardo Independent School District has officially named a new superintendent beginning June 2021. Gina D. Garza will begin serving the students, staff, and community of Ricardo ISD. Ricardo ISD is a community that is steeped in tradition, driven by excellence, and supportive of students and staff. Prior to joining the Ricardo ISD team, Gina served as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Jim Hogg County ISD where she was instrumental in increased academic achievement, development of college, career, and military readiness initiatives, human capital development, and innovative academic programs PK-12 grade. With 22 years of experience, Gina served as a Dean of Instruction and Principal before moving into district leadership.    (18) view article

Lamar Consolidated:  New superintendent takes over at LCISD.

June 1805:00 AM

 

A new era officially began at Lamar Consolidated ISD as Dr. Roosevelt Nivens conducted his first school board meeting on Thursday as the district’s new superintendent. Nivens had glowing words for his new staff as he takes over for Dr. Thomas Randle, who retired at the end of the school year. “I have talked to quite a few folks, and Lamar CISD is an absolutely outstanding school district,” Nivens said. “And I want to give a special thanks to the staff. I have met most of them, and you talk about a room of high performers. They’re going to make the superintendent’s job a lot easier for me. You guys are top-notch.”    (18) view article

Schools in the Pecan Grove area will have to wait a few more months before they have a new superintendent. The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees have decided to move their timeline to find a new superintendent back a couple of months, moving the interview period from June to August, and that a new superintendent will not be selected until at least September. The original timeline had interviews beginning this week, but because of team-building meetings and workshops with the Texas Association of School Boards already scheduled throughout June and July, it would make it tough for all board members to participate in the interviews, board president Dave Rosenthal said.    (18) view article

Gilmer ISD chief named regional superintendent of year

June 1705:00 AM

 

Longtime Gilmer ISD Superintendent Rick Albritton has successfully changed the face of the district, leading the district through two bond packages that remodeled campuses. That work, among other accomplishments, has led him to being named the Region 7 Education Service Center superintendent of the year.  Albritton started working at Gilmer ISD in 2002. According to Region 7, both bond packages he helped pass exceeded $20 million in renovations in new construction. The 2018 bond measure funded a new high school, elementary school, field house and several renovation projects, including to the football stadium.  “Mr. Albritton knows the importance of building strong relationships,” Gilmer ISD board President Mark Skinner said in a statement. “Teacher retention in Gilmer ISD has increased from 28% in 2002 to 92% in 2020 due to the collaborative culture that is Mr. Albritton’s top priority.”    (17) view article

Contract approved for Fayette County’s new superintendent

June 1808:40 AM

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Fayette County Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved the new superintendent’s contract, according to the district. Dr. Demetrus Liggins has a four-year contract. His start date is July 26, 2021. The contract sets out the salary, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. It runs through June 30, 2025, according to the district. view article

Wichita Falls ISD Superintendent Michael Kuhrt narrowly survived a challenge to an extension of his employment contract Tuesday, after a 4-3 vote by the WFISD Board of Trustees.  Four school board trustees voted to add another year to the superintendent's contract while three voted against the move. This is the first time in his six years on the job that Kuhrt has had a close call on his contract.  The three who voted against the extension were Bob Payton, Katherine McGregor and Mark Lukert. Those who voted in favor were school board president Mike Rucker and trustees Elizabeth Yeager, Tom Bursey and Dale Harvey. view article

A second vote on the hiring contract for Round Rock ISD Superintendent finalist Hafedh Azaiez has been moved to June 19 at 8 a.m. A statement from district public information officer Jenny Caputo explains that the board is voting on the appointment again due to an “inadvertent procedural omission.” “While the agenda for the June 14 meeting was appropriately posted on the district's website as well as promoted through several social media channels 72 hours in advance, a paper copy of the agenda was not posted for public view at the district's office until the day of the meeting,” the statement reads.    (17) view article

The Fort Bend ISD board of trustees unanimously approved an updated calendar for its superintendent search during its June 15 meeting. Under the recently approved timeline, search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates will notify the board of the top five or six candidates Aug. 4. Then, the first round of interviews—which will be conducted virtually—will be held Aug. 9-11. From there, the board is scheduled to meet for a second round of discussions Aug. 17-20, this time in person, with the top three candidates. In addition to an interview, the second round will include lunch, a driving tour of the district and dinner with each candidate, according to an itinerary presented by HYA. view article

Millard House II will become Houston ISD’s new superintendent on July 1, following the district’s school board unanimously vote Monday to make his selection official. The pro forma vote follows the naming of House as HISD’s lone superintendent finalist on May 21. Texas law mandates that school boards name a lone finalist, then wait at least 21 days before formally approving their selection. Trustees approved a contract for House on Monday, but would not immediately release terms of the agreement. House’s predecessors, former superintendent Richard Carranza and current Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan, both earned a base salary of $345,000. view article

West Oso ISD's Superintendent Conrado Garcia was recognized as Superintendent of the Year at the Education Service Center, Region 2 on Tuesday. Garcia has been in education for over 40 years and has served as superintendent since 2016. He said the award represents the work of every district employee. "From the administration to bus drivers to cafeteria workers to teachers," Garcia said. "(Teachers) who are day-in, day-out carrying the load for us with our kids and who inspire and engage our students." view article

MANY, La. -- Sabine Parish schools Superintendent Sara Ebarb has announced her plans to retire on Dec. 31. Ebarb said she made the decision after much "prayer, deliberation and discussion" with her husband and family. Her husband is retiring for a second time on June 30 and wants her to retire, too, she said in a statement Tuesday. "The Lord has blessed me with a long and successful career. There have been some very difficult and challenging times, but most of the time, it has been my joy to be an educator in every capacity in which I have served. I thank the Caddo Parish School Board for the 28 years I served there. I learned so much that served me well as a superintendent. Caddo gave me opportunities to grow and develop professionally, and afforded me the opportunity to learn from the very best mentors, Albert Hardison, Ollie Tyler and so many others," Ebarb said. view article

The Round Rock Independent School District officially named its next superintendent. Dr. Hafedh Azaiez was the school board’s sole finalist last month and will start his role as superintendent July 5. view article

Houston ISD trustees made the hire of superintendent Millard House II official Monday, unanimously agreeing to a three-year contract with a base salary of $350,000. The pro forma vote follows the May 21 decision by trustees to name House, who served the past four years as superintendent of Tennessee’s Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, the lone finalist for the job. Texas law mandates that school boards name a lone finalist, then wait at least 21 days before formally approving their selection. House will take the reins of HISD on July 1 from Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan, who held the position for three years. His base pay, which is $5,000 more than the salary given to Lathan and former superintendent Richard Carranza, would have ranked tied for 15th-highest in Texas this past school year, according to Texas Education Agency data.    (15) view article

The superintendent of the Donna Independent School District will soon be leaving his position and the Rio Grande Valley after accepting a similar situation with the Round Rock school district. Dr. Hafedh Azaiez spoke to Channel 5 about his time at Donna ISD and what he hopes he's accomplished. "I'm going to miss everybody," Azaiez said. "Donna is always going to have a very special place in my heart." Walking down the halls of J.P Lenoir Elementary, Azaiez shares a smile with students, celebrating the end of an academic year like no other. The superintendent says students have been his driving force ever since taking the reins of Donna ISD in July of 2018. view article

ROUND ROCK, Texas — Round Rock Independent School District has announced its next superintendent. The school board approved a contract for sole finalist Dr. Hafedh Azaiez on Monday. Former RRISD superintendent Steve Flores retired in April of 2021. Azaiez, who was raised in Tunisia, has been the superintendent of Donna ISD in the Rio Grande Valley since 2018. view article

On July 1, Millard House II becomes the new superintendent of the Houston Independent School District, with a three-year contract paying him a $350,000 yearly base salary, the chance to earn $150,000 in incentive pay a year, $25,000 dropped into a retirement fund for him each year and a one-time payment of $35,000 to help him in his move from Tennessee. His salary is about $5,000 more a year than Interim Superintendent Dr. Grenita Latham and her predecessor Superintendent Richard Carranza each earned. All in all an impressive amount of money, but one that he may well count on earning every penny of as he negotiates the challenges of a massive urban district struggling to get its test scores up while its student population — particularly in the elementary grades — is on the decline to charters, private schools and suburban school districts. view article

Round Rock ISD’s new Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Hafedh Azaiez, introduces himself to the community and shares his goals and hopes to work together to make Round Rock ISD’s vision of Inspiring Students to Learn, Empowering Students for Life a reality for every student. view article

Highland Park ISD’s Jimmy Hannon named Region 16 Superintendent of the Year

June 1508:30 AM

 

AMARILLO, Texas (KVII) — Superintendent Jimmy Hannon of Highland Park ISD is the newest Region 16 Superintendent of the Year, the organization announced Monday. Ray Cogburn, the executive director of Region 16 Education Service Center, said Hannon will compete for the statewide Superintendent of the Year honor. "Jimmy certainly deserves this recognition, and I have no doubt that he will represent us well at the state level," he said. "We are all proud to name him our Superintendent of the Year.” The release said superintendents from any independent school district in the state are eligible for nomination.    (16) view article

Round Rock ISD has officially named its next superintendent. Dr. Hafedh Azaiez was the school board’s sole finalist last month and will start his role as superintendent on July 5. Azaiez has served as superintendent for Donna ISD in the Rio Grande Valley since 2018. view article

The El Paso Independent School District board will swear in its newest trustee on Tuesday. Israel Irrobali, a legislative liaison for the city of El Paso, is the new District 5 trustee after he won a runoff election against Vanessa Betts in early June. He replaces Charles Taylor, who was appointed to the EPISD board in 2015 but was initially elected in 2013. Taylor won his seat again in 2017 and did not seek reelection for a new term.  The EPISD board, which governs El Paso County’s largest school district, looks radically different than it did before the coronavirus pandemic began. There’s now only one trustee, Al Velarde, who was on the board before 2019. Irrobali, an Andress High School graduate, said hiring a new superintendent is a priority for his district in Northeast El Paso. “I want to make sure we identify someone who has a long-term, positive vision for our district, not someone who doesn’t understand our education system here in El Paso – someone who wants to do better for our kids,” he said. Irrobali is looking forward to better understanding tax issues and how the district can make better fiscal decisions. view article

The Round Rock school district trustees on Monday voted to hire Hafedh Azaiez as superintendent after a packed public hearing in which many people voiced their objections or support.   The vote was 5-2 to approve Azaiez, the 48-year-old superintendent in the Donna school district in South Texas. He will start in Round Rock on July 5. He has a three-year contract with an annual salary of $350,000.  Trustees Mary Bone and Danielle Weston voted against hiring Azaiez. Bone said before the vote that she wanted a public forum to be held so people could ask questions about why Azaiez was the best candidate.    (15) view article

A total of 16 Round Rock ISD parents spoke out June 10 against the possible hiring of superintendent finalist Dr. Hafedh Azaiez without offering a town hall or meeting. The RRISD board of trustees announced Azaiez as the finalist for their superintendent selection process May 21, but have not scheduled a town hall for parents to speak with him and learn about his plans for the district. “I'm a parent, and I have children at Harrington [Elementary], Hopewell [Middle] and Stony Point [High schools],” Tiffany Buss said at the meeting. “As you're meeting to discuss the salary for the lone finalist for superintendent, a few questions remain. Why have you done this entire superintendent search process in closed session? Why has it been so rushed? Why have you not made Dr. Azaiez available to the taxpayers that will pay his salary? What are you hiding? Our concerns for the superintendent candidate have not been addressed, and we continue to feel marginalized through this process.” view article

Former Ector County ISD Executive Director of Leadership Stacy Johnson has been named superintendent of Banquete ISD. In education for more than 24 years, including 18 with ECISD, Johnson has served as everything from teachers’ aide to principal to her leadership post. Previously, she had worked in the Pilot Point and Denton school districts. view article

The El Paso Independent School District board will swear in its newest trustee on Tuesday. Israel Irrobali, a legislative liaison for the city of El Paso, is the new District 5 trustee after he won a runoff election against Vanessa Betts in early June. He replaces Charles Taylor, who was appointed to the EPISD board in 2015 but was initially elected in 2013. Taylor won his seat again in 2017 and did not seek reelection for a new term The EPISD board, which governs El Paso County’s largest school district, looks radically different than it did before the coronavirus pandemic began. There’s now only one trustee, Al Velarde, who was on the board before 2019.  view article

El Paso’s two largest districts are without a permanent superintendent heading into next school year, when thousands of students will return to campuses, many for the first time since March 2020. The El Paso Independent School District has been led by Interim Superintendent Vince Sheffield since November. Internal auditor Marta Carmona was named interim superintendent of the Socorro Independent School District late last month. Both will help steer their respective districts through the summer and into the fall, as the searches for permanent hires are in their infancy. Across the country, more districts than usual have seen their leaders retire early, resign or be fired since the start of the pandemic, said Dan Domenech, the executive director of the School Superintendents Association. view article

The Corsicana ISD Board of Trustees heard the Corsicana High School graduation report during its June 7 meeting. More than a dozen of the 366 graduates intend to join the military, while a total of 618 industry certifications were awarded in fields including Information Specialist, food handling, and automotive service safety. Superintendent Dr. Diane Frost recognized Senior, UIL State Champion, Hannah Carlisle, who earned first place in the UIL 5A Prose Interpretation discipline. Aimee Kasprzyk, Director of Fine Arts and UIL Academics introduced Carlisle and congratulated her. Other highlights of the Superintendent’s report included that free student meals are being served Monday through Thursday, through June 30 at Corsicana High School, Collins Intermediate and Carroll Elementary Breakfast 7:15 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. and lunch 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Summer School began Tuesday, June 8, and will conclude Thursday, July 1. view article

A slight majority of Fort Bend ISD board members have decided to ask for a delay in its search for a new superintendent, claiming that they would not have enough time to do its due diligence to select a final candidate. FBISD campuses include Travis High School, Bowie Middle School, Neill and Pecan Grove elementary schools — all of which get students from the Pecan Grove community. In a 4-3 vote, the FBISD board of trustees voted to meet with its search firm, Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, to come up with another timeline to hire a new superintendent after current Supt. Dr. Charles Dupre announced his plans to resign.  His final day at FBISD was Thursday, and deputy superintendent Diana Sayavedra became acting superintendent on Friday.  Board president Dave Rosenthal said that with important workshops, personal issues with several families of board members and two new board members that needed to get team-building training, there is not enough time for the board to do all that and select a new superintendent at the same time. view article

Gary Jones, New Super of Dawson ISD

June 1408:25 AM

 

Gary Jones principal of Grady ISD has been named New Super of Dawson ISD in Welch, Texas. read more

Miller named lone finalist for Moody ISD superintendent

June 1408:25 AM

 

A Central Texas educator — with ties to Temple and Belton schools — has been named as the lone finalist for the superintendent job at Moody Independent School District. Andrew Miller, an MISD assistant superintendent, was named Monday as the lone finalist by school trustees.    (09) view article

Brock ISD names Holmgreen lone finalist for superintendent

June 1408:24 AM

 

BROCK — The Brock ISD board of trustees, in a unanimous decision during a special meeting June 7, named Ron Holmgreen as the lone finalist for the position of Brock ISD superintendent of schools. He will replace Dr. Cade Smith, who left BISD last month after accepting the New Braunfels ISD superintendent position.  “The BISD board of trustees is pleased to announce the selection of Ron Holmgreen as our lone finalist,” states BISD board President Bill Cooper. “His qualifications and experience fit with the values and mission of our school district and make him the ideal candidate for Brock. We’re confident with his extraordinary leadership, familiarity with our culture, and his knowledge that will help us navigate enrollment growth while maintaining our traditions, foundation, and vision.”    (10) view article

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Even in her last month on the job as HISD's interim superintendent, Dr. Grenita Lathan is out in the community thanking partners, like the Cypress Springs Links Chapter who is providing scholarships to students at Booker T. Washington High School in Fifth Ward. The campus is among those which Lathan has focused on during her 3-and-a-half-year tenure, and she's proud to have brought in technical programs, an opportunity for students to become pilots, increased baccalaureate curriculum, and thanks to bond revenue, improved infrastructure to HISD campuses.    (11) view article

COPPERAS COVE — To go along with the 3% pay raise given to all employees within the Copperas Cove Independent School District, the school board of trustees approved the same raise for Superintendent Joe Burns Tuesday evening. All modifications to Burns’ salary or contract must be done in a separate agenda item during a school board meeting. With the raise, Burns will now receive an annual salary of $188,840, effective on the first paycheck of the 2021-2022 school year. The raise is an increase of $5,500 from the $183,340 he currently receives. view article

The Windthorst ISD school board accepted the resignation of Superintendent Lonnie Hise during a special called meeting Thursday, May 27. On the same day, Hise was named the lone finalist for the Haskell CISD superintendent position. “(My wife Sheila and I) both grew up in Haskell,” Hise said. “We still have a lot of family there and at this time in our lives it feels like the right move for us.    (10) view article

THROCKMORTON, Texas (KAUZ) - Region 9 has named Dr. Michelle Cline, Superintendent of Throckmorton CISD, as the 2021 Superintendent of the Year. The award program reportedly honors outstanding Texas administrators for achievement and excellence in public school administration. Region 9 said candidates are chosen for their strong leadership skills, dedication to improving the quality of education in their school districts, commitment to public support and involvement in education, and ability to build good employee relations among teachers and staff members. view article