A longtime Hays CISD executive leader whose career spans 30-plus years announced his retirement earlier this month.
Carter Scherff, who is the district’s deputy superintendent and chief operations officer (COO), announced his retirement at the Jan. 19 board of trustees meeting.
Scherff, who according to a press release is one of the longest serving executive leaders in the district, served Hays CISD for roughly 15 years. Scherff officially retired Jan. 31.
“This has been the best 15 years of my life. I love this district. This district has been centered on children and doing the right things for kids. It was that way when I got here and will be that way when I leave. It is a privilege to have worked here for that many years,” said Scherff. “I have strongly enjoyed all of the support the board and the superintendents who I have worked for have given me and the trust that the public has put in us to do the right thing.”
Scherff joined the Hays CISD team in February 2003, as the interim director of finance. Within months, he was tapped to be the interim assistant superintendent for business and operations. Before the end of the year, the district hired him to serve permanently in that senior role. In 2009, Scherff was named deputy superintendent. He added the title of chief operations officer in 2016, according to the release.
“Carter’s tenure as a senior member of the executive leadership team spans almost a third of the district’s entire 50 year history, including the time in which we have experienced a tremendous increase in the number of students we serve,” School Board President Merideth Keller said. “Carter will be missed by many who are grateful for his commitment to and passion for our students and our community.”
When Scherff joined the district, it had 9,005 students.
During his time with the district, the student population more than doubled to nearly 20,000. Among Scherff’s chief duties was managing growth, both in terms of staffing enough teachers and coordinating bond and construction efforts to make sure students had enough space.
Between 2003 and 2018, Scherff oversaw the construction of 12 Hays CISD campuses, the purchase of new land for future schools sites, the expansion of the bus fleet to transport more than 12,000 students.
The district also experienced numerous technological improvements, repairs and renovations at all campuses, the expansion of some campuses, and the construction of support facilities during Scherff’s tenure.
Under his leadership and responsible fiscal stewardship, Hays CISD voters approved $529 million in bond measures between 2004 and 2017.
“It is evident how important Carter Scherff has been to the success of this district, even to someone like me who is new in the community,” said Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright. “Hays CISD has a healthy fund balance, a bond debt and repayment structure that is fiscally solid, facilities that are amazingly well maintained, land in the portfolio that can accommodate our near-future needs, and positive relationships with our city and county partners. We owe this, and much more, to Mr. Scherff.”
Prior to joining Hays CISD, Scherff was the assistant superintendent for administrative services for Wichita Falls ISD, associate superintendent for business and support services for Waco ISD, and director of internal audit for Austin ISD. He also performed external audits for seven Texas school districts annually as audit manager for a regional CPA firm in central Texas.
Scherff holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in business administration, both from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), a Certified Fraud Examiner, and a Certified Internal Auditor.
