As the sun set over the nearby football field, community members trickled into the Randall Reed Center, ready to offer ideas and feedback on the search for a new Spring ISD superintendent. 

It was the first of two town hall meetings hosted by members of the Board of Trustees. A second meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 18.

“The purpose of the town hall meeting is to hear from our community, our constituents, our stakeholders,” President Rhonda Newhouse said. “We want everyone to have input in the selection of our new superintendent. We want to know what the community is looking for in a superintendent, to understand their goals and agendas for Spring ISD.”

Last month, current superintendent Dr. Rodney Watson announced that he accepted a new role with the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) as its deputy executive director. Watson has served as superintendent of Spring ISD since 2014.

At the time, Dr. Watson said that he announced his departure with plenty of lead time to give the Board of Trustees ample opportunity to identify and prepare his successor, with events such as the pair of town hall meetings for community feedback.

On Tuesday night, that feedback ranged from a request for increased arts funding and college readiness programs to improving academic performance and recruiting and retaining quality teachers and administrators in Spring ISD.

One attendee, Laurie Fitzmorris, a homeowner in Spring for 26 years, was interested in learning more about the process behind such a search.

“I wanted to see what the feeling was of the community about what needs to happen in Spring ISD,” Fitzmorris said. “I feel like we need to have someone that has a proven track record, someone that has already proven themselves, to come in and help our district grow.”

The second town hall meeting will be held Thursday, Nov. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Spring ISD Family and Community Engagement Center, located at 17125 Ella Blvd., Houston, 77090.