Parents and staff urge Waxahachie ISD to explain transfer of Clifton Elementary principal

Dozens of parents, staff and students pressed the Waxahachie ISD Board of Trustees on Nov. 10 to explain the transfer of Clifton Elementary principal Angela Strong and to provide immediate supports for the campus.

"We trusted the process, and our scores went down," said Julie Copeland, who told the board Clifton had received several new curricula in recent years without district support. Parent Adrienne Wade described outsized teacher turnover under previous leadership and said the school’s demographics — cited in the meeting as about 66.8% economically disadvantaged and 23.3% receiving special education services — make continuity essential for students' success. "Our children only get one chance at an elementary education and they're falling behind because the system that should support them is not showing up," Wade said.

A fourth-grade student, Molina Cantero, told trustees she felt "confused, scared, and sad" and asked that the principal be returned: "She made school fun ... She loves us and we love her." Renisha Wright said Principal Strong personally helped her autistic son overcome school anxiety and called the principal’s removal "like a thief in the night." John Mosley, an employee who said he had worked at Clifton before and during Strong’s tenure, described the campus culture as restored under Strong and said staff and students now feel safer and more hopeful.

Several speakers urged the board to conduct a transparent review. "I'm urging the board to take immediate action and conduct a full transparent review of what is happening at CLIF," Adrienne Wade said. Dr. Diana Marks, a retired educator with 31 years' experience, recommended concrete steps the district could take, including equity-weighted staffing formulas for special education and economically disadvantaged students, sensory and reflection room upgrades in the facilities plan, a math and science instructional coach, a district attendance liaison, priority retention designation for the campus and a three-year improvement compact with quarterly board updates.

Board leadership signaled limits on what could be discussed in public. The board president interrupted one speaker to say the board will not entertain comments on individual personnel or students in public session because of board policy. The meeting later moved into closed session under Texas Government Code §551.001, and when the board returned to open session it took no public action to reverse the transfer.

The public comments came before a slate of routine and personnel votes the board approved later in the meeting. Trustees did not announce any personnel changes for Clifton during the open session; the record shows no reinstatement or public disciplinary finding was made. The board did not provide an immediate timetable for further public updates on the matter.

Next steps: board policy limits personnel discussion in open session; parents and community members said they expect the district to respond privately and to follow up with formal updates at a future meeting.