KYLE — Hays CISD Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright announced Tuesday, June 23, that he will be retiring in February 2027, after serving in multiple capacities in public education for nearly four decades.
His love for educating people dates back to when he was a first grade student and, because his teacher knew that he was already an avid reader, he was asked to help his classmates learn how to read. Wright shared that it was through that joy that he discovered from a young age that he knew he wanted to have a career in education.
Wright started his career as a student teacher in 1988 and then, became a full-time teacher in the classroom and coach in 1989 stretching across several school districts in Texas, including Terrell, Channelview, West Hardin, Hardin, Marshall and Lufkin ISDs. After learning what he could as an instructor, he entered into the following advanced leadership positions: assistant elementary school principal for Lufkin ISD in 1996; principal of an elementary school in Huntington ISD in 1997; principal of Huntington High School for the 2000-2001 school year; assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at Huntington ISD in 2001-2004; named the superintendent for Woodville ISD in 2004; superintendent for Huntington ISD in 2006-2014; and superintendent for Fredericksburg ISD in 2014-2017.
The Hays CISD Board of Trustees hired him in December 2017 to serve as superintendent, thus beginning Wright’s leadership of the district Jan. 1, 2018, and he has watched the district continue to evolve. At the time, there were approximately 19,000 students, Wright said, but now, the district has more than 25,000 students in the fast-growing area.
“Just watching the dynamic growth and trying to keep pace with that growth, so that all students have a nice place to learn has been crucial. Thanks to our community and our taxpayers, we've been able to pass several bonds in order to provide facilities that allow our students to have great spaces in which to learn and then, in fine arts and athletics [to] showcase their talents,” he shared.
Wright continued that Hays CISD is unique in that it serves multiple cities, including Buda, Kyle, San Marcos, Niederwald, Hays, Driftwood, Uhland and parts of Austin. Taking all of the different communities and listening to the various needs they have to give the students the best educational experience has been challenging, but rewarding at the same time, he said.
“I see public education as being the vehicle that can raise all boats and if a student is educated, then it provides opportunities for them,” the superintendent said. “It opens the doors and I think we are able to provide those opportunities, so they can be successful in whatever field that they want to move into later on in life.”
Over the years, there have been several accolades and accomplishments throughout Wright’s tenure.
Knowing that “if you can read, you can do anything,” Wright implemented a reading program during the beginning of his stint at Hays CISD. This emphasized the importance of teaching students how to read on grade level using phonics as a base, as, when he first started, reading scores in the district were in a deficit, but they now exceed state and regional averages.
He also shared that he is proud of the increased number of students taking advanced placement, dual credit and on-ramp courses, as well as the Career and Technology Education Department being able to partner with local business owners to help secure their future employees.
However, his favorite time of the month is meeting with the Student Advisory Panel and having the direct interaction with the students, as he is able to hear from those that are impacted the most from decisions made by the district.
“[It’s] made up of high school kids from all four of our high schools. We bring them in and we run policy decisions and building decisions, because we always want to know how it impacts the end user, which always is our kids,” Wright said. “Anything that's curriculum in nature or that deals with the school district, we always want the student voice and so, monthly, I get to have student input and so, that's that's my biggest takeaway and it's probably one of the groups that I will miss the most is having the direct interaction with our students.”
After a nearly 40-year career in public education, Wright has decided that it’s time for him to step away to be able to spend more time with his wife and family, including his young grandchildren.
“I've been doing this work for almost four decades now and so, I just feel like it's time for me to make a change and enjoy my family. I love this job, but it is also all consuming in volume with 25,000 students and over 3,500 employees. It never stops. It's like I'm on duty 365 [days a year] 24/7,” he said. “I'm ready to do something different. I love our team; I love our kids. I'm not walking away because of any dissatisfaction. I just want to do something different with my life and actually be there for my family moving forward.”
Wright will be retiring in February of next year. According to him, the best time for a superintendent to step down is in the middle of the school year because the budget is already set and “all of the manuals” are provided, leaving his replacement with the opportunity to have two to three months to learn about the district before most of the crucial decisions are made.
Looking ahead to the future of Hays CISD — as Wright vowed he will remain the number one fan and biggest cheerleader — he wants to continue to see the student enrollment and facilities grow, as well as whoever takes over his position to leave it better than they found it.
“I'm just eternally grateful for the original board that gave me the opportunity to work here and I've been blessed to have great trustees to work with … My executive cabinet is by far the best in the state; we've had a great continuity and everything that has been accomplished has been a team effort. I'm so proud of our outstanding teachers and our outstanding students,” Wright concluded. “Hays CISD is a destination district [and] I just want to thank them for all their support throughout all these years.”
