Spring ISD holds community input session in superintendent search; stakeholders press for stronger literacy, teacher support

The Spring Independent School District board of trustees on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, hosted a community stakeholder meeting to gather input for its superintendent search, with Region 4 facilitator Dr. Rudy Trevino leading the session and trustees seated among attendees to listen to community priorities.

The meeting, held as a special call session beginning at 6:00 p.m., brought parents, staff, longtime volunteers, clergy and students together to identify what the next superintendent should honor and what changes are needed. Common themes included a renewed focus on early literacy, stronger teacher support and retention, campus safety and psychological safety, filling special-education vacancies, and more strategic investments in classroom technology and data systems.

Dr. Rudy Trevino, a Region 4 facilitator, opened the meeting by explaining its purpose: "to gather your feedback, to gather your guidance, and, to lean over to you for the details of what we're looking for in the superintendent," and said the board had asked external facilitators to help capture community views. He reminded participants that a town hall and a working session are scheduled in the coming days to synthesize input.

Parents and community members who spoke at the meeting urged the board to prioritize early childhood programs and reading instruction. "We need to get to the foundation of literacy," one table summary told the group, reflecting multiple comments that students were arriving at higher grades without required reading skills. Several speakers called for consistent curriculum implementation, regular data cycles that staff know in advance, and more professional learning time for teachers.

Speakers also pressed for stronger support and retention of teachers and campus staff. "Listen to the teachers," community member Cyrus Johnson said. "Teachers are the most important part of this district... They have great knowledge and great ideas." Attendees described high staff turnover, burnout and the need to make paraprofessionals and other campus staff part of decision-making.

Several commenters raised concerns about special education staffing and service delivery. One participant said her grandson had waited through the school year for a speech therapist and that vacancies remained unfilled despite ongoing recruitment. That example was cited as a call to ensure federal special-education funds are used to hire and retain needed staff.

Technology and instructional software were another recurring topic. "If we're going to use the software, buy the entire version," said Nicole Johnson, who urged the district to vet products, commit to them for multiple years and ensure purchases align to instructional goals rather than one-off grant opportunities.

Attendees also discussed campus safety in both physical and psychological terms. Several said students and teachers must feel safe to learn and teach; one school police representative noted that anonymous reporting tools allowed staff to "stop something before it even... happen[s]." Community engagement and a district leader who maintains active, visible ties to neighborhoods and local businesses were flagged as measures that strengthen both safety and pride in the schools.

Facilitators and trustees outlined the search timeline shared during the session. Dr. Trevino said Region 4 will compile the input from this meeting and others; attendees were invited to return for a Monday working session where draft themes from all sessions will be refined. The board said it expects to interview finalists in July and to take a hiring vote in early August.

Trustee Durant, the board president, closed the public portion by thanking participants and stressing the importance of the decision ahead: "We have got to get this decision, right. We've got to get it right," she said. The board then recessed into a closed session citing the Texas Open Meetings Act; no hiring action occurred during the public meeting.

The only formal action recorded in open session was a motion to adjourn at 8:57 p.m. The motion was moved by Trustee Kelly P. Hodges, seconded by Trustee Winford Adams, and carried unanimously.

The board and Region 4 will use the compiled feedback to develop a superintendent profile for candidate screening and interviews next month.