Rockport-Fulton ISD names superintendent finalist

Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times
·2 min read
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The Rockport-Fulton ISD Board of Trustees named a lone finalist for the position of superintendent Monday.

The trustees unanimously approved as finalist Lesley Austin, who currently serves as deputy superintendent of Trinity Basin Preparatory. Trinity Basin Preparatory is a public charter school in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Austin is the second lone finalist the school board has announced since former superintendent Joshua Garcia left the district last spring to lead Kaufman ISD.

Rockport-Fulton ISD has named Lesley Austin, who has a doctorate in education, as lone finalist for superintendent.
Rockport-Fulton ISD has named Lesley Austin, who has a doctorate in education, as lone finalist for superintendent.

The district has been led by interim superintendent Clark Alan Lowery since May 2023. Lowery was previously assistant superintendent of Rockport-Fulton ISD.

In October, the trustees announced that Lowery as lone finalist for superintendent. Under state law, school boards must wait 21 days between naming a finalist and executing a contract with a new superintendent.

After the waiting period, Lowery and the district did not enter into a contract. Lowery remained as interim superintendent and the district re-launched the search process for a new leader.

The most recent superintendent's contract documents posted on the Rockport-Fulton ISD website date from January 2023 between the district and Garcia, the former superintendent. It includes a salary of $195,000.

According to a Tuesday news release from Rockport-Fulton ISD, Austin plans to officially report to the district as the next superintendent after the state-mandated 21-day waiting period.

"Following an extensive search process, which included input from stakeholders across our community, Dr. Lesley Austin emerged as the clear choice to lead our district into the future," Board President Kenny Cruzan said in the release. "She brings a wealth of experience, leadership and service in education to our students, staff and community. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Austin to our RFISD family."

Austin received a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University in 2001.

She served in several roles in Dallas ISD, including teaching and instructional roles and in a principal fellows program. Austin then worked for Maypearl ISD as a teacher and coach, and later junior high and high school principal.

In 2009, Austin completed a master's degree in educational leadership with a principal certification from Lamar University.

Austin earned a doctor of education degree from Lamar University in 2017.

Austin has worked for Trinity Basin Preparatory since 2018. She also served on the Maypearl ISD Board of Trustees from 2020 to 2023.

Prior to 2023, Rockport-Fulton ISD was previously known as Aransas County ISD.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Rockport-Fulton ISD names superintendent finalist