Superintendent search slated as Hawkins leaves

Diboll school board members decided Tuesday, April 29, to begin their superintendent search at a special meeting May 13, which they called originally to canvass ballots from the May 10 board election.

Superintendent Brent Hawkins has been selected as the sole finalist for the superintendent's job in Woden and will be hired officially at the expiration of a 21-day comment period required by the state. He expects to leave Diboll at the end of the school year.

The noon meeting May 13 will be used to set up criteria for the superintendent search. Board President Trey Wilkerson made that announcement after a lengthy executive session. Trustees made no other comments on the subject.

Craig Ruby, director of data, staff development and ancillary services, presented a report on a recent survey of employee opinions conducted by the Texas Association of School Boards. The focus was on employee satisfaction.

Most employees expressed a high level of job satisfaction, although "auxiliary support" workers responded at a very low rate, three out of 58. Teachers were the largest responding group, with 55 percent of them answering the survey.

More than 90 percent of respondents were satisfied with their jobs and two-thirds would recommend the district to a friend as a good place to work. Almost three-quarters would recommend their own campus. More than three-quarters believe their working conditions are reasonable,that pay and benefits are satisfactory and that district communications are good.

Hawkins reported that the district's student enrollment stayed steady for the month at 1,813. Diboll fifth and eighth graders slightly outperformed the state overall in the first round of TAKS tests