Marble Falls superintendent lone finalist for South Texas job

FROM STAFF REPORTS

MARBLE FALLS — After almost four years of leading the Marble Falls Independent School District, Superintendent Rob O’Connor looks to be moving on.

The Sharyland ISD board has named O’Connor the lone finalist in its superintendent search. SISD is located in South Texas and serves the communities of Mission, McAllen, Edinburg and Alton.

O’Connor joined MFISD in August 2011 after the board spent more than a year searching for a new superintendent after the previous one, Ryder Warren, accepted the top job at Midland ISD.

O’Connor express mixed emotions in a letter to MFISD staff late April 16.

“It has been a blessing in my life to be part of this wonderful community of Marble Falls,” O’Connor said. “Marble Falls ISD has some of the finest, most dedicated teachers and staff that I have had the privilege to work with in my career. I have learned a lot from many of you, and I hope you will continue to build a collaborative professional culture.”

O’Connor and his wife, Kerri, the director of the Burnet County After School Centers for Education, will complete this school year and then make the transition to Sharyland in July.

MFSID Board of Trustees President Rick Edwards expressed his gratitude to O’Connor for his past four years of dedication to MFISD, its students, staff and faculty.

“On behalf of the board, we are sad to see Dr. O’Connor leave as we’ve made great strides under his leadership. As much as we would love him to say, we respect his decision to move onward and upward,” Edwards said in a statement. “The board appreciates Dr. O’Connor’s work over the past three and a half years as superintendent. He is a thoughtful, intelligent leader, and we wish him and his family nothing but the best in the future.”

Edwards said O’Connor helped build a strong culture of collaboration at MFISD.

Sharyland ISD includes two high schools, an advanced academic academy, an alternative education center, two middle schools and eight elementary schools.

The SISD board voted unanimously during an April 16 meeting to name O’Connor as its lone finalist. Under state law, after a district names a lone finalist, it must wait 21 days before signing a contract with the person.

Edwards said the MFISD board is prepared to discuss the process for finding a new superintendent during the board’s regular April 20 meeting.

“We will be looking for community and staff input to search for the superintendent candidate who best meets the identified key attributes for success as our next superintendent,” he said.

During the April 20 meeting, the board will begin discussing the hiring of an interim superintendent, search timelines, hiring a search firm and details of the transition.

The board meeting is 6 p.m. at the MFISD Central Office Community Room, 1800 Colt Circle.

editor@thepicayune.com