BASTROP SCHOOL DISTRICT CHIEF TO RETIRE AT END OF YEAR
Bastrop school district Superintendent Steve Murray has announced he is retiring from his administrator position and as a school educator effective Dec. 31.
“I have been so blessed to be able to work with so many wonderful teachers and school leaders ... and truly blessed to have served so many students,” Murray Tweeted Nov. 18.
Murray’s resignation came a week after Bastrop school district voters rejected an $88.5 million school bond, with 64 percent of voters turning it down. This was the second school bond voters rejected in as many years.
Last year, voters rejected a $75 million school bond with 54 percent coming out against the measure. Voters last year also rejected a 13-cent tax ratification that would have helped fund dayto-day operations at the district. That tax proposal failed with 64 percent of voters voting against it.
Murray declined to say whether the bond’s failure had an impact on his decision to resign. He declined Bastrop Advertiser requests for an in-person or phone interview the day following his announcement, and Murray instead submitted a written statement.
The school district issued a news release highlighting Murray’s accomplishments. It said that during his tenure, student enrollment grew by more than 16 percent and the district opened the Colorado River Collegiate Academy, an early college high school that will graduate its first class this school year. The district also has met the state’s standards for academic achievement, and earned recognition for financial transparency.
“We appreciate Steve’s service and leadership these past eight years,” said Ashley Mutschink, president of the district’s board of trustees. “He has dedicated his time and talent in service to our students and staff and has built an outstanding career in public education. On behalf of the board, I want to wish him well as he takes these next steps in life.”
Before joining the Bastrop school district, Murray served as superintendent of the Little Elm and La Vernia school districts, and also as deputy superintendent of the Del Valle school district.
Murray began his career in 1982 as a teacher and baseball coach in the Klein school district.
“To say that the last 36 years have been rewarding would be quite the understatement. I have been blessed to work around some of the very best educators in Texas and to serve thousands of young people since my start in public education,” Murray said in a statement to school district staff.
Murray said he will pursue some private-sector opportunities that he’s excited about. He said that even though he’s leaving his post halfway through the school year, “the administrative team at the Service Center and at all BISD campuses is strong, and they will continue to provide effective leadership for our schools and our students.”
His advice for the next top administrator: “Stay focused on the students. That is a superintendent’s ultimate charge.”
On naming an interim superintendent, Murray said he’s confident trustees will make the right decision. “The great thing about our board of trustees is that they have the district’s and all of our students’ best interests at heart. They have integrity and truly want what’s best for kids, so I’m confident in the decision they will make in selecting the next person to lead the district. Bastrop ISD is in good hands.”
Murray’s salary is $254,262, according to information obtained by the Advertiser.