By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
An agenda item of the December 11 Leander ISD Board of Trustees meeting indicates that Superintendent Bruce Gearing is seeking voluntary retirement.
Closed session agenda item 10.D states “Texas Government Code 551.074: consideration of Voluntary Retirement Agreement with Superintendent, and Appointment of Acting Superintendent”.
In a statement to Cedar Park High School News, LISD Board President Anna Smith said:
“We deeply appreciate Dr. Gearing’s years of service to Leander ISD and the students we serve. We wish him a joyful and fulfilling retirement.”
Read the CPHS News report by clicking here for more details at the December 4 meeting.
The discussion at the December 4 regular meeting became tense at points over school closures and consolidations. Trustees questioned whether leadership or the board should decide which campuses to consolidate prior to the Dec. 11 meeting.
Board President Smith challenged the process, but Gearing pushed back, sharing that the administration provided a clear path in the fall.
In Four Points News reporting from a few weeks ago, Gearing had been named on November 14 as one of the finalists for the superintendent position at Conway Public Schools in Arkansas – a 9,500-student school district, according to multiple news sources in Arkansas.
Gearing, who has served as superintendent since August 2019, did not notify the LISD Board of Trustees of his job search prior to the finalist announcement.
“While this announcement came as a surprise to the board, we want to assure our community that the board remains dedicated and focused on our purpose — serving students, supporting staff and continuing the important work happening across our classrooms and campuses every day,” the district shared in mid-November. “The Board of Trustees will continue to ensure stability, transparency and progress for our district regardless of any outcome.”
In the closed session of the LISD Board meeting on November 20, the board can discuss personnel matters. Agenda item 9.D. may cover the subject. It is entitled “Texas Government Code 551.074: deliberation regarding Superintendent contract”.
LISD has more than 42,000 students across 48 campuses that stretch across some 200 square miles.
Gearing and three other finalists were among 16 applicants for the top job at Conway Public Schools, which is 30 miles north of Little Rock.
The Conway board plans to do initial interviews with the finalists on Dec. 8, 10, 11 and 17.
Leander ISD wants to reassure the community that the district continues to focus on its work.
“We are deeply proud of the work being done in Leander ISD — by our teachers, support staff, leaders, families and, ultimately, our students. Together, we remain focused on what matters most — providing high-quality student experiences for every student and ensuring #1LISD continues to thrive,” shared Crestina Hardie, LISD chief communications officer, in mid-November.
