Katy .superintendent discloses cancer, surgery
Katy school Superintendent Leonard Merrell, who announced his retirement Wednesday, is being treated for prostate cancer and has recently undergone surgery, a school district spokesman said Thursday.
In a statement Merrell wrote to school trustees, he did not give any reason for ending a 12-year tenure during which he oversaw improved student performance and led the district through a period of explosive growth.
He also encountered some difficult times. Merrell's sharpest critics, members of a school watchdog group, often accused him of being out of touch with the district's needs.
Merrell's secretary, B.J. Alvarez, said the superintendent was in meetings Thursday and was unavailable to return calls.
In an interview with the Chronicle in March, Merrell said he had no plans to retire. "As long as I'm healthy and I enjoy the work, I'll keep doing it. If I ever get to the point that I don't enjoy it anymore, that will be the time to leave, because then it wouldn't be fair to the district," he said.
Merrell, 62, was hired in 1995 as he beat out a national slate of candidates. He told trustees Wednesday night he will retire June 30 when his contract expires, after serving 39 years in education.
"I'm disappointed and surprised but I understand that at some point in time a person has to make personal decisions," said Bill Moore, the district's chief financial officer.
School board president Judith Snyder said the board would use a national search firm to help select Merrell's replacement for the district, which has about 6,200 employees and an annual budget of $435.2 million for 2006-07.
"It is the intention of the board to complete the search and have Dr. Merrell's replacement before his retirement in June to provide a seamless transition," Snyder said.
Garland "Scooter" McMeans, the assistant superintendent for support services, said he is excited for Merrell but extremely disappointed for the district. Katy, a school district that grew from about 25,000 to more than 50,000 pupils during Merrell's reign, regained its Texas Education Agency "recognized" status in 2006, making it one of the largest districts in the state to earn the second highest ranking the agency designates.
Four bond elections passed from 1996 to 2006, totaling nearly $1.13 billion to fund new technology, renovation and repair work, and 20 new schools. Merrell also oversaw the construction of a multipurpose center named the Leonard E. Merrell Center, which also became a source of contention for the watchdog group.
The $23.5 million center was was funded through a tax increment reinvestment zone established by the city of Katy, Fort Bend County and Katy ISD in 1999.
In a 2005 interview with the Chronicle, Merrell said he was "humbled by, and very appreciative of, this honor. It came as a complete surprise and never at any time did I ever expect that the board would choose to name the facility after me."
But under the constant scrutiny of a school watchdog group, Merrell also had to deal with a number of controversies. One criticism was that district officials were harsh in enforcing applying zero tolerance discipline policies and did not use common sense. An e-mail controversy that resulted in several employees being disciplined for using school computers to discuss a school board election brought complaints from critics from within and outside of the district.
Fred Hink, a member of the Katy Citizen Watchdogs, criticized Merrell on Thursday as a "reactionary leader who never looked at the true business of running the school district."
Chris Cottrell,co-founder of the watchdog group, said the district is ready for new leadership.
But Anne Hodge, Katy Area Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive officer, praised Merrell's leadership. "I think he's been a coalition builder and one who understands the importance of developing strategic teams to address the problems in the community," Hodge said.
Lance LaCour, Katy Area Economic Development Council executive director, said Merrell's announcement came as a "somewhat of a shock." "It's probably going to be some big shoes to fill," LaCour said.
Now for my take on things. As much as I liked Dr. Merrell as a person, and I have met him on several occasions. His leadership skills left a lot to be desired. Look at the people who are praising him, and what they are saying, "coalition builder", "big shoes to fill". I am sorry but that is hardly a ringing endorsement of a man who has overseen one of the fastest growing school districts in the State and in the nation as well. Look at his record.
- 1.13 BILLION in debt over 10 years
- a multi purpose facility that only seats about 5ooo people funded by a TIRZ that has cost those that set it up millions...
- lack of common sense with regard to zero tolerance policy
- a district that has doubled in size but the quality of education has dropped.
- 6,200 employees and an annual budget of $435.2 million
- e-mail controversy that resulted in several employees being disciplined for using school computers to discuss a school board election
and then look at what the critics have said...
"reactionary leader who never looked at the true business of running the school district."
district is ready for new leadership.
Over all here is what I see. Dr. Merrell was a good man who was not prepared to run a district that was sitting on a population time bomb, like KISD was in 1996. He failed to be the aggressive leader that a fast growing district needs. He allowed land owners to take advantage of the districts fast growth and suck nearly 35 Million out of the district for land needed for schools. The districts growth planning group was horribly under informed, and the company that was doing the growth analysis was about 3 to 5 years behind in knowing what properties were being developed. He encouraged enormous pleasure palace campuses to be designed, and was the first superintendent to have a bond election fail, nearly had a second one fail. Dr. Merrell is a good person who did the best he could for the district, but the scope of the job far outdistanced the man, and I really thing that if he was not undergoing treatment for prostrate cancer, he would have resigned anyway this summer. His health just gives him a way to step aside with out having to worry about people questioning why he is leaving now after he fought so hard to get passed, but if only by the narrowest of margins.
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