Outgoing GISD Superintendent Dr. Sedric Clark
Gladewater ISD Superintendent Dr. Sedric Clark resigned Monday night, effective Dec. 31.
Few details were immediately available following trustees’ regularly-scheduled monthly meeting July 15. There was no public discussion by the board members and little comment after the group’s unanimous approval of Clark’s voluntary resignation agreement.
The development did not come as a surprise to the trustees this week. Clark’s intent was included on the meeting agenda posted Friday afternoon – as a topic for a closed door discussion, as an action item on a resignation agreement and as a related vote on the process and selection of an interim superintendent.
Clark began his tenure with GISD on June 1, 2017, after his official hiring in late-May. He’d been working as principal of Mansfield High School in Louisiana’s DeSoto Parish since 2010 and previously served as principal of Longview ISD’s Foster Middle School.
The seven-year Gladewater ISD chief had no initial comment Monday evening. He’ll weigh in for Thursday’s print edition of the Gladewater Mirror.
Clark’s annual evaluation has been listed on trustee’s closed session agendas multiple times in recent months with no public discussion or action taken.
The board and superintendent adjourned to closed session at 6:30 p.m. Monday and remained sequestered until 7:15 p.m. In addition to Clark’s resignation and an ostensibly routine discussion of private personnel matters, the executive session agenda included confidential consultation with the school district’s attorney.
Upon their return to open session, Clark updated the board on recent resignations and hires before the elected officials’ 6-0 acceptance of his voluntary resignation agreement. (Board Secretary Danielle Budro was absent.) The trustees authorized GISD Board President Chris Thompson to negotiate the final terms of the resignation agreement with Clark and to sign the completed document.
Before adjourning for the night, the group approved an as-yet unspecified process to select an interim superintendent.
According to Thompson, “We’re going to call a couple of people tomorrow. They’ve helped us out in the past. We’ll see if they’re available,” he said, declining further comment: “Not at this time.”