RISD has been without a permanent superintendent since December, when its board of trustees accepted the resignation of former Superintendent Jeannie Stone. The board named Tabitha Branum as the interim superintendent for the remainder of the school year after accepting Stone's resignation.
Branum told Community Impact Newspaper in May she plans to apply for the permanent position.
“I am very passionate about this district,” Branum said. “I don’t want to go anywhere.”
RISD took steps to hire its next superintendent April 19, partnering with law firm O’Hanlon, Demerath & Castillo to assist with the search. The board finalized a timeline for the search with the firm during its May 3 meeting.
“We anticipate interest from quality candidates and are confident that, through this process, we will be able to identify the best possible fit [for] RISD’s next superintendent,” board President Regina Harris said in a statement.
The application for the position was made available June 1 through the search firm’s website. The application process closed June 28 with RISD trustees and the search firm interviewing candidates throughout July, district officials stated.
The lone finalist will not be officially hired by the district until 21 days after being announced during the July 18 meeting, according to Texas state law.
The board plans to hire RISD’s next superintendent ahead of its Aug. 9 board meeting, in advance of the 2022-23 school year that begins Aug. 16, according to district officials. The upcoming July 18 meeting can be viewed live on the district's website.
