Kennard ISD Begins Search for New Superintendent
Above photo: Kennard ISD at a recent board meeting, current Superintendent Malinda Lindsey (left) consults with KISD School Board President Terry Pilkington (right).
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
KENNARD – Kennard Independent School District (KISD) has begun the search for a new superintendent after longtime Superintendent Malinda Lindsey announced her retirement last month after 32 years in education. Lindsey told The Messenger at the time it was a tough decision to make.
“This is the hardest decision I have ever had to make. To be superintendent of
Kennard ISD has been the capstone of my career. The friends I’ve made
throughout my years in education and seeing so many dedicated educators guide
students to reach their goals has been a blessing,” Lindsey’s statement read. “Together, we have achieved so much over the past eight years and the key word ‘together’: from academic
achievement, facilities upgrades and so much more.”
KISD School Board President Terry Pilkington said the district accepted Lindsey’s resignation with gratitude for her years of dedication to the district.
“We thank her for her service and all the sacrifices and challenges that come along with the job,” Pilkington said. “We wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors, whether that be spending time with her family or whatever she decides to do.”
The KISD school board was then faced with a dilemma: start searching immediately for a replacement or hire an interim superintendent and work over the next few months to find the right person for the job.
“We can either choose to try to find a replacement superintendent immediately or we can hire an interim to finish out the rest of the school year, while at the same time be searching for someone for the permanent position. And that’s what the board decided to do. We as a board thought it was the best approach and we would get a better pool or more applicants if we waited until the end of the year. We wouldn’t expect someone to want to quit in the middle of a school year and go somewhere else,” Pilkington explained.
Lindsey’s retirement will take effect Dec. 15, giving the district time to complete the search for an interim superintendent. The district will be taking applications until Oct. 6 who would begin the new job at the beginning of 2024.
The district recently joined other local schools in working to form its own police force. At a security conference last spring, Houston County Sheriff Randy Hargrove reminded KISD educators the schools are a long way from the sheriff’s office and a lot can happen in the few minutes it might take law enforcement to arrive. The formation of a KISD Police Department will give the schools the local security they need, tied in to all other local law enforcement agencies for backup when needed.
“I couldn’t be happier with our choice to start our police department. Michael Allen’s done an excellent job getting everything we need to start the department,” Pilkington said. “That’s our number one priority – the safety of our kids and the safety of our staff.”
Pilkington said the board decided to find a good outside company to help them with the search, which would allow KISD to set their parameters in terms of desired education, skills and experience and have the company search candidates and propose those matching the criteria.
Choosing a superintendent is one of the most important jobs a school board faces, since they run the day-to-day operation of the schools and work to implement the strategy and trajectory set by parents and the elected school board.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
