Following the board’s vote, school board President Erin Archer said Norton will resign and retire immediately while the district will continue to pay his salary through the end of the 2024-25 school year.
The district will work to quickly hire a new superintendent, including gathering community input, and will soon appoint an interim superintendent to fill Norton’s role until an executive search is complete, Archer said.
The details
The move comes two months after the board voted to place Norton on a paid administrative leave and launch an investigation following allegations of misconduct. At the Feb. 7 meeting, Archer said the complaint against Norton “did not relate to students or district finances” and that the third-party investigation had closed.
“After careful consideration by the board and legal counsel and a thorough review of the investigation's findings, the board has voted to accept Mr. Norton's voluntary resignation,” Archer said.
Norton submitted his resignation Feb. 1, according to an email shared with parents Feb. 7 containing his resignation agreement. Norton will be paid $158,098 in severance, alongside $60,255 for earned but unused personal leave and vacation days, the agreement states.
“Our time in Lake Travis ISD has been an incredible journey,” Norton said to Archer in his resignation letter to the board of trustees. “I wish Lake Travis ISD nothing but the best. It has been an honor to serve the staff, parents, community and especially the students of Lake Travis ISD.”
In his resignation, Norton cited his accomplishments during his time at the district, including navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, holding tax elections and passing bonds totaling over $752 million, and doing listening tours.
Four parents and community members shared their concerns about a lack of transparency and accountability from district officials during public comment at the Feb. 7 meeting. Parent Kathryn Sartor urged the board to address formal grievances filed by her and other parents before accepting Norton’s resignation.
“Accepting a resignation from Superintendent Norton with no transparency sets a dangerous precedent and is a betrayal to your community,” Sartor said. “The public deserves full accountability for the actions or inactions of those entrusted with the safety and well-being of our children.”
Norton did not respond to requests for comment from Community Impact as of press time.
How we got here
At a Dec. 17 special meeting, the board voted to place Superintendent Paul Norton on a paid administrative leave effective immediately and appointed Pam Sanchez, LTISD assistant superintendent for business services, as acting superintendent in Norton’s place.
Additionally, the board voted to conduct an investigation with a law firm after it reviewed a report during closed session containing allegations of misconduct, according to a Dec. 17 news release from the district.
Community Impact filed two public information requests with LTISD concerning the allegations against Norton and is waiting to receive a response.
The background
Norton became the superintendent of Lake Travis ISD in 2020 after serving as the superintendent of Texarkana ISD.
During his tenure, he oversaw the passage of a voter-approval tax rate election in 2021 followed by a $609.2 million bond election in 2022 and a $143 million bond election in 2023. The district recently pushed back the opening of its eighth elementary school and second high school after experiencing declining enrollment.
LTSD has faced mounting budget shortfalls in recent school years, with a $6 million shortfall for fiscal year 2024-25. In August, the district made nearly $2.85 million in cuts to vacant positions and contracted services—around 42% of which were related to special education, district officials said.
Last school year, the district faced pushback from community members after parent Shawna Mannon said the district failed to respond to bullying her son experienced due to his peanut allergy, which culminated in a $1.5 million lawsuit by Mannon in April.
Norton’s salary was $418,284 for the 2023-24 school year, making him the highest paid superintendent in Central Texas, according to the Texas Education Agency.
Grace Dickens contributed to this article.
