Recent superintendent changes in Houston-area districts
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- After Houston Independent School District Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan announced Monday that she would be leaving the district after three years in the role, we wanted to take a look at what other districts have seen leadership shakeups recently.
Lathan is leaving to become the superintendent in the Springfield (Missouri) Public School District. She'll stay in HISD through the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. She'll start in her new position in Missouri on July 1, 2021.
Here's what we have found about the changes in other school districts so far.
Clear Creek ISD
Clear Creek ISD has a new superintendent.
In December 2020, the board of trustees unanimously approved Dr. Eric Williams as the next superintendent to fill the role left vacant by Dr. Greg Smith, who announced his retirement last June.
Williams comes from a district in Leesburg, Virginia that 82,000 students and $1.3 billion budget.
This is CCISD's announcement about Williams.
Deer Park ISD
In January 2020, Stephen Harrell was named the lone finalist for the district's superintendent position after the previous superintendent Victor White announced he would be retiring on Aug. 31, 2020 after five years of service.
Harrell was the district's assistant superintendent, but has been with Deer Park ISD for more than two decades.
Harrell is currently at the helm.
Fort Bend ISD
After seven years as Fort Bend ISD's superintendent, Dr. Charles Dupre announced his plans to resign by December 2021.
He made the announcement at a board of trustees meeting in November 2020. At the time, he said he and wife were "ready to pursue new adventures and opportunities" after devoting 19 years total of service to the FBISD community.
FBSID is the eighth-largest school district in Texas and the largest in Fort Bend County.
Read more about Dupre's announcement and the district's next steps here.
New Caney ISD
New Caney had an abrupt change of leadership in November 2020 when the board of trustees accepted the resignation of Superintendent Kenn Franklin.
No comments were made about his abrupt departure after serving for roughly 11 years, and no reason was given at the time.
But in a story from January 2021, Franklin is accused of submitting at least $2,500 worth of fake travel expenses to the district, according to arrest warrant affidavits from the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.
He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on Jan. 7 and released on bond. He was charged with aggregate theft by a public servant, a third-degree felony, and tampering with a government record, which is a state jail felony.
Read more about the allegations against Franklin here.
Deputy Superintendent Matt Calvert was named to serve as interim superintendent in his place.
Santa Fe ISD
The district has begun the process of selecting a new superintendent after Dr. Leigh Wall, who currently serves in the role, announced earlier in the year that she will be leaving.
Santa Fe ISD said it has hired a superintendent search firm and intends to conduct an extensive state-wide search before announcing a lone finalist around the end of the school year. It hopes to have the new superintendent begin this summer to prepare for the 2021-2022 school year.
The district is asking for input on the search through this survey.
The video above is from a previous report.
