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Fort Bend Independent School District trustees chose Duncanville schools chief Marc Smith as their lone finalist for superintendent Friday, moving unusually fast to name the district’s next leader following the abrupt retirement of Christie Whitbeck this month.
The unanimous vote by the board follows a tumultuous two weeks in which Whitbeck said Board President Judy Dae delivered her an ultimatum to step down or be fired, with no explanation given for the threat.
Whitbeck’s account and statements by Trustee Kristen Malone prompted many community members to demand more details about the superintendent’s exit and plans for replacing her. Dae and other trustees have not responded directly to Whitbeck’s statements.
In selecting Smith, Fort Bend officials picked an education leader with deep local ties and more than a decade of superintendent experience in Texas.
Smith spent 10 years as an administrator in Klein Independent School District and six years in Fort Bend as an executive principal and assistant superintendent. He left Fort Bend in 2012 to become superintendent of the Marshall Independent School District in East Texas. In 2016, he then assumed the superintendent position in Duncanville, a Dallas-area district known across Texas as a high school athletics powerhouse.
Duncanville serves about 12,000 students, about 95 percent of whom are Black or Hispanic and 80 percent of whom are considered economically disadvantaged by the state. Fort Bend is the Houston area’s fourth-largest district, educating about 80,000 children. Its student population is one of the region’s most racially, ethnically and socioeconomically diverse.
Duncanville’s state-issued A-through-F academic accountability rating rose from C in 2018 to B in 2019 and 2022. Districts did not receive grades in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Fort Bend has scored at a B level in recent years, barely falling short of an A rating.
Trustee Sonya Jones said the board pursued Smith in its last superintendent search, which resulted in Whitbeck’s hiring in 2021, but the timing wasn’t right. Smith, who was present for the vote Friday, received a warm reception and applause from attendees.
“We could not be happier that we have been able to persuade him to return to Fort Bend ISD,” Jones said. “Marc is a special person. He’s a man of faith and high integrity.”
A district spokesperson said Smith’s contract likely would be signed Jan. 8, 2024, at which point he’d assume the position. School boards must name a lone superintendent finalist and wait at least 21 days before approving their contract under Texas law.
Smith was not immediately available for an interview Friday, according to district officials. A district spokesperson said information about Smith’s expected salary was not available. Whitbeck earned an annual salary of $377,400, plus benefits.
School districts typically employ a firm to search nationally for superintendent candidates while gathering community feedback, a process that can take months. But moving quickly to name a leader is not unheard of, especially if trustees already have a candidate in mind. Spring Branch and Klein Independent School District trustees have avoided a national search in recent years by also hiring administrators with ties to the district.
Carrie Bronson, the parent of a Clements High School graduate and two young children in the district, showed up to Friday morning's meeting feeling nervous. The controversy surrounding Whitbeck’s exit drew her to the meeting in hopes of receiving answers to several questions.
“How and when did all the board members have an opportunity to interview the lone finalist?” Bronson said. “How will that person work with the divided board?”
Bronson said it felt like the district was moving in the right direction under Whitbeck. The events that unfolded over the last two weeks, however, have her concerned the board purposefully skirted community input in its decision-making.
State law allows school boards to discuss “personnel matters” during the closed session portion of public meetings. Fort Bend trustees have listed “personnel matters” as a closed session agenda item in recent weeks, though they haven’t specified whether they would discuss the superintendent position or speak with Smith.
Malone, who has accused Dae and other board members of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act by engaging in a walking quorum to orchestrate Whitbeck’s exit, reiterated her concerns about transparency Friday.
Malone asked Dae to describe the evaluation and selection process of Smith, noting that she didn’t receive an invitation to be part of the process until 10 a.m. Friday. Malone ultimately said she supports Smith as the lone superintendent finalist.
“I believe in the democratic process. I believe in transparency and access to information, and I think it's the bedrock upon which decisions are made here,” Malone said. “And it made it extraordinarily difficult to prepare to make any decision without having that information prior to this morning.”
Dae refuted the allegation that trustees were not given sufficient time to consider Smith’s candidacy.
“If you choose not to participate, that’s really your own personal choice,” Dae said. “Every single board member on this dais was given opportunities to have a conversation with Dr. Smith. It's a personal choice if you decide to do it or not.”
Malone has not provided evidence proving a walking quorum, which would involve at least four of the board’s seven trustees coordinating in private on matters that are legally required to be discussed during a public meeting.
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