After three weeks of waiting, Houston ISD administrator Rodney Watson was named the new superintendent of schools for Spring ISD June 23.

"I am extremely excited about the appointment as superintendent of Spring ISD," Watson said. "My wife and I are making plans to move our family to the district. Most important, I am looking forward to meeting with teachers, administrators and community members to hear about ways that we can work together to move the district forward."

The Spring ISD board of trustees officially hired Watson at a meeting June 23. It was the final day of the 21-day waiting period required before the board could officially hire him. Watson was named the sole finalist for the position June 2.

"Hiring our new superintendent has been a significant responsibility, which we took very seriously," said Rhonda Faust, president of the board of trustees. "It is so important to every member of the board that we make the best possible choices for our children, and we feel confident that Dr. Watson is the best choice."

Watson most recently served as the Chief Human Resources Officer for Houston ISD, which has more than 210,000 students and 30,000 employees. He has been an administrator with HISD since 2010 during which time he served as a school improvement officer and the chief school officer over 53 elementary schools.

The new Spring ISD superintendent oversaw the operating budget and a capital expenditures budget of nearly $200 million for 53 elementary schools as well as the coordination and implementation of educational programs, support services and business for those campuses.

Before coming to HISD, Watson served as a campus principal with the Hickman Mills School District and the Lee's Summit School District in the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan area.

"Dr. Watson is well-qualified and uniquely suited to serve our community and our children as superintendent of Spring ISD," Faust said. "Now that he is officially on board, we are eager to move forward with creating a climate and culture across the district of continuous improvement and excellence."

The school board began the process of selecting a new superintendent to replace former Superintendent Ralph Draper in February. Working with a consulting firm—School Executive Consulting—the board began with around 35 applicants before narrowing the list to seven for an initial round of interviews.

For more information on Watson or Spring ISD, visit www.springisd.org.