OUR TURN: Finding replacement for MFISD’s Warren won’t be an easy task
The Marble Falls Independent School District has a tall order in finding a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Ryder Warren.
Warren, who was hired by MFISD in 2003, last month accepted an offer from the Midland School District to be their new superintendent. He starts July 1.
He leaves an impressive legacy in the Highland Lakes.
During his tenure, MFISD school district patrons approved a $62.3 million bond issue that led to massive campus renovations, technology upgrades, the building of the new Colt Elementary School and a $10 million athletic facility at Marble Falls High School.
Also under Warren’s leadership, MFISD schools rose in state rankings.
Last year, the Texas Education Agency named Spicewood and Marble Falls elementary schools exemplary; and Colt Elementary, Highland Lakes Elementary and the high school were all recognized.
He also was part of the effort that saw the start of the Legacy Fund, which offers student scholarships through community donations, and he spearheaded staff and teacher pay raises.
There’s no denying Warren accomplished a lot for students and was popular both with educators and the community.
In looking for his replacement during the next few weeks, here is the kind of candidate the School Board should consider:
• Someone who is not afraid to meet people one-on-one. Warren is well-known for his frequent public appearances, participation in local civic groups, mass phone calls to parents and informative e-mail letters to district patrons. Even in a controversial situation, he was never afraid to answer questions, and always invited anyone who had a beef or a compliment to personally come see him or at least call.
• Someone who understands the importance of education, and hiring and retaining good teachers. The district has spent millions on campus upgrades to improve the MFISD learning environment and worked hard to award teacher pay raises so educators will stay here. MFISD must avoid a “brain drain” by keeping pay and benefits competitive, thereby hiring the best teachers for our children.
• Someone who also understands the critical need for a healthy and successful athletics program to match the setting of the new, state-of-the-art $10 million Mustang Stadium. The new superintendent must also help oversee the marketing of the stadium itself, which potentially could bring more revenue to the Marble Falls’ economy if it can be positioned as an event center for teams and meets across the region.
• The new superintendent must be committed to increasing bilingual education programs to keep pace with the evolving demographics of the student body.
• The new superintendent must be ready to face hard choices, including working with the School Board to find solutions if so-called Robin Hood allocations increase. Under Robin Hood, the state takes tax disbursements from property-rich districts and distributes funding to the poorer districts. At some point, MFISD may have to raise taxes to stay current with Robin Hood mandates. That may be a hard pill to swallow, and the district will need an unflappable superintendent to weather the storm.
The board will not have an easy job finding a replacement for Warren.
The Daily Tribune editorial board includes Dan Alvey, Amber Alvey Weems, Thomas Edwards, Daniel Clifton and Chris Porter. The editorial board can be reached at editor@thepicayune.com.
Perhaps the best advice is this: Don’t look for someone to fill Warren’s shoes. Find someone who will make their own tracks