Circumstances surrounding Hays CISD Superintendent Michael McKie’s departure remain unclear, even after district leaders accepted his resignation and named an acting superintendent during a special called meeting Friday.
At Friday’s meeting, the Hays CISD Board of Trustees voted 7-0 to approve McKie’s resignation and release agreement and named Carter Scherff, chief operations officer, as acting superintendent.
The board’s decision was made after they spent nearly two hours in executive session to discuss the topic.
McKie, who announced his resignation last Tuesday, will serve as superintendent for the remainder of the school year until the district’s May 31 graduation ceremonies.
Scherff will serve as acting superintendent through June, after which officials may appoint him or someone else interim superintendent. The interim superintendent would serve for a few months while a replacement superintendent is chosen.
“Realistically, we would be looking at January before we could bring in [a new] superintendent.” Holly Raymond, outgoing board of trustees president.
According to the Hays CISD website, Scherff has more than 35 years of management experience and more than 30 years of involvement in Texas public education. This will be Scherff’s third time serving as acting superintendent.
“He’s really good,” Holly Raymond, outgoing board of trustees president, said. “He has a ton of experience so he’s a solid go-to person and he doesn’t want the superintendent’s job.”
According to a joint statement, the Board of Trustees and McKie “have entered in the agreement believing it is in their respective best interests, and in the best interests of the district.”
However, the statement did not specify why McKie chose to resign.
“He’s going to be looking at other options, and that allows us to look for other options as well,” Raymond said. “We really appreciate his service to the district and wish him the best in whatever he chooses to do.”
During McKie’s tenure, voters in the district passed a $59 million bond in 2014 that included building four new campuses and improvements to district infrastructure and technology. In 2017, voters approved a $250 million bond spread across two propositions which included a new high school, two new elementary schools and various improvemenets across the district.
McKie also led implementation of a new strategic plan, an internal audit of all departments to address “current issues and needs,” as well as annual stakeholder satisfaction surveys, among other items, according to the district’s statement.
“Mr. McKie thanks the present and past board of trustees for providing him with the opportunity to serve in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District,” according to the district’s statement.
HAYS CONSOLIDATED INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT JOINT STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND MICHAEL McKIE
Michael McKie has announced his resignation as Superintendent of Schools for the Hays Consolidated Independent School District. An agreement has been reached which allows Mr. McKie the ability to pursue other interests and permits the Board to pursue hiring another Superintendent. The Board and Mr. McKie have entered into the Agreement believing it is in their respective best interests, and in the best interests of the District.
On behalf of the entire District, the Board of Trustees expresses its sincere appreciation to Mr. McKie for his service as the Superintendent of this great school district and its students, parents and administrators, and for the many achievements and accomplishments of the entire District team during Mr. McKie's tenure as Superintendent. Among those achievements, Mr. McKie has provided leadership to the District in managing our exponential growth - leading the district through two successful bond elections in 2017 ($250M) and 2014 ($59M) which added four new campuses and much needed improvements to the infrastructure, technology and operations of the district. He also led implementation of: a new strategic plan that includes a community based accountability system, an internal audit program of all departments to address current issues and needs, and to ensure continuous improvement; a new ERP system; annual stakeholder satisfaction surveys; and improvements in the overall compensation structure for all teachers and staff.
Mr. McKie thanks the present and past Board of Trustees for providing him with the opportunity to serve in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District. A school district is measured by the commitment of the Board, staff, and community to its children and their achievement. This District is indeed so committed. Mr. McKie would like to express his heartfelt appreciation to the District's employees and community for their support of Hays CISD's programs and services during his term as Superintendent.
The Board extends its best wishes to Mr. McKie in his future endeavors. On its part, the Board will ensure that a new Superintendent is soon in place so as not to disrupt the District's operations.
