Judson ISD appoints interim leader
Board quiet on ex-superintendent’s abrupt resignation
Judson Independent School District trustees have named Milton “Rob” Fields III as interim superintendent to replace Jeannette Ball, whose sudden resignation has gone without explanation by her and the board.
Fields, the deputy superintendent of student support services, will lead the district while the board searches for a permanent leader. The board appointed him late Thursday by a 5-2 vote, with trustees Renee Paschall and Suzanne Kenoyer dissenting.
After two lengthy but inconclusive meetings on Ball’s annual evaluation, the board had unanimously approved a resignation agreement with her Nov. 21, less than two weeks after Judson voters authorized a major bond to upgrade security and build new schools.
Trustees have not made public any reasons for her departure, though Paschall said Ball had lost the backing of a majority of the board and was left with little choice but to resign.
“A 7-0 vote does not necessarily mean that no one had reservations,” Paschall said of the resignation agreement in an email before Thursday’s meeting. “The community does not realize that the Office of the Superintendent did not have full board support.”
Another trustee, Jose Macias, has denied accusations aired on social media last week that trustees had worked to undermine
Ball. The online reaction also included some who criticized Ball’s treatment of district employees.
The district announced this week that the resignation had been finalized, leaving Ball with a $140,000 payout, more than half her yearly salary.
She had led Judson ISD since 2018 after serving five years as superintendent of Uvalde Consolidated ISD.
Fields served 20 years in the Air Force and has had an education career since 2002, including as principal at Wagner High School in Judson ISD and as the district’s assistant superintendent for operations. He grew up in Live Oak and graduated from Judson High School.
In a joint statement released Wednesday, Ball and the board wished each other well.
“Dr. Ball did a lot of positive things during her tenure at Judson ISD,” said board President Jennifer Rodriguez in an interview Wednesday. She cited increased safety and security measures and Ball’s help in convinc
ing voters to approve an urgently needed bond.
Community members were quick to weigh in with praise and dislike of Ball on social media platforms, which Macias called “a product of a band-aid that got ripped off.”
“But it will heal,” he predicted, stressing that Ball is owed her privacy and that the board has been as transparent as it can be.
“The law affords protections to all employees who are given the right to privacy. That is transparency,” he said.
Rodriguez said she couldn't speak to the “lived experiences of teachers and staff members,” but that it was normal to have “mixed reactions” to the superintendent.
“We want to move forward thoughtfully and share what we can while maintaining focus on our students,” Rodriguez said. “We will be stewards of Judson with a search for new leadership, and continue in improving the district.”
In a statement released Friday morning, Judson officials said Friday that the district's community and staff will have a say during the superintendent search process.
“In order to continue the trajectory of success throughout the district, input from staff, students and the community about what qualities are important in the district's leader is imperative,” the statement said, promising to create “opportunities for stakeholders to provide that input.”