Lancaster ISD superintendent Lewis requests hearing

by Bill Conrad of Lancaster TODAY

The termination case against Lancaster Independent School District Superintendent Larry Lewis took another turn Dec. 18 as Lewis filed a request for a public hearing with the Texas Education Agency.

While the Lewis case is not yet resolved, the school board hired an interim superintendent at its meeting Dec. 18.

On Dec. 3, Lewis received a notice of proposed termination from the Lancaster School Board dated Dec. 2. By law, he had until Dec. 18 to request a hearing. In the hearing request, Lewis' attorney Richard Hill said that he and the school district's legal counsel are going to try and come to a mutual decision on who should conduct the hearing. If they cannot come to an agreement, TEA will appoint a hearing officer.

In August, the school board hired the law firm of Anderson Jones to investigate Lewis. Anderson Jones presented its report to the school board Nov. 17.

The report came to five major conclusions: 1) Dr. Lewis failed to adequately and timely communicate with, and withheld material information from, the board; 2) Dr. Lewis approved and made illegal zero-interest loans and advances of district funds to district employees; 3) Dr. Lewis paid cash awards to employees without authority and proper funding; 4) Dr. Lewis was untruthful to the investigators; 5) Dr. Lewis exhibited a lack of serious leadership.

In Lewis' absence, Assistant Superintendent Eugene Young served as acting superintendent. Young will hold that position until January, when the newly appointed interim superintendent, Dana Marable, will take over.

Marable was approved by a 5-1 vote at the Dec. 18 meeting, with Marie Elliot voting no. Trustee Ed Kirkland was not present.

Marable retired from the Longview Independent School District in 2006, where she had served as superintendent since 2003. From Sept. 2007-June 2008 she served as an interim superintendent for the Temple Independent School District.

She has a Ph.D from Texas A&M University and began her work in education in 1970 as a classroom teacher in Bryan, Texas. She first became a superintendent in 1993 with the Medina Valley Independent School District and also served in the same capacity in Marble Falls.

“I like to feel like I am doing something meaningful and that I am giving back,” Marable said after being appointed. “I have done another interim job and I loved it. I had some of the most wonderful experiences I have ever had. I want to make a difference in Lancaster. I think there are great possibilities here and we need to capitalize on them and move forward. And we are going to do that.”

The school board interviewed three other candidates for the position. They included Young, J. Bruce Wood - a former superintendent for the Kaufman Independent School District - and Patricia Pickles - a former superintendent in the Pflugerville Independent School District.

Copies of the report from Anderson Jones and Lewis' response are available on the Lancaster Today website. They can be viewed at: www.todaynewspapers.net/special section/80/ and www.todaynewspapers.net/specialsection/81/.