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Liberty Hill ISD has officially named Travis Motal as the district's new superintendent.
Motal has served as interim superintendent since April following the resignation of former Superintendent Steven Snell, who became the new Williamson County judge.
The update
The LHISD board of trustees unanimously voted to name Motal as the superintendent of schools at a Feb. 16 meeting. Place 2 board member Kendall Carter was not in attendance.
Community Impact requested a copy of Motal's contract but was not provided one as of press time. Motal's contract has not yet been executed as it is awaiting trustee Carter's signature, an LHISD spokesperson said.
The background
The board named Motal as the superintendent lone finalist in December following a statewide search process.
Over the last six years, he has served as the district’s chief of schools, director of secondary education and principal of Liberty Hill Junior High.
Going forward
In December, Motal told Community Impact he wanted to help LHISD finish rezoning campuses, adopt a new academic calendar, and implement initiatives funded by the district’s tax-rate election that passed in November.
At the Feb. 16 meeting, the district adopted new attendance zones for the 2026-27 school year. In August, LHISD will open the official campus for Legacy Ranch High School, Legacy Ranch Middle School and Lariat Trails Elementary.
The board is expected to adopt an academic calendar for next school year at its March 9 meeting, Motal said.
The district implemented a hybrid calendar featuring some four-day school weeks this school year. LHISD was required to reinstate six instructional days on Fridays following bad weather days and the denial of a staff development waiver by the Texas Education Agency.
The district is expected to generate $10.7 million in additional funding through a $0.07 tax-rate increase, with funding going toward student programs, teacher raises, and safety and security initiatives, district officials said.
This comes after LHISD made around $8 million in budget cuts, including eliminating 78 positions, following a failed tax-rate election in 2024.
