Trotter retires from Cleveland ISD

After a lengthy Executive Session, the Cleveland ISD Board of Trustees returned to regular session and considered the voluntary retirement of Superintendent Chris Trotter, which passed by a vote of 4-2 with a single abstention. Trotter has served the district in that capacity since 2019 and has worked 31 years in education.
After voting, Board President Willie Carter made a special presentation to Trotter from the Board of trustees thanking Trotter and wishing him well in retirement.
In a statement issued by Cleveland ISD, Trotter spoke well of all of the educators and staff and the work accomplished in his time as Superintendent.
“I personally believe that 3 years is about the right amount of time to stay at the helm of an organization like ours. I am very proud of the work we have accomplished over the past 3 years. I believe new leadership and a new perspective will build on our legacy of success, and bring new ideas to the table,” said Trotter.
During his time at the helm, Cleveland has undergone tremendous growth as the fastest growing district in Texas, and with that growth, the district made some great strides towards bettering the education for students. Some of those achievements included passing a $198 Million Bond in 2019, the opening of Cottonwood and Pine Burr Elementary, and the construction of three more schools is underway, as well as an all-new baseball and softball complex. There were also plans underway for a new staff development center office.
“On behalf of the Board, we highly value the progress made in our school system under Superintendent Trotter’s leadership. Along with the Board, Mr. Trotter has focused Cleveland ISD and its stakeholders on identifying and developing the strengths and gifts of every child. In addition to his focus on instruction, he has been a champion to build the district’s capacity to handle the hyper-growth of students,” said Carter.
After accepting Trotter’s resignation, which took effect Nov. 16, trustees appointed Stephen McCanless as the interim Superintendent. McCanless has been in education for 25 years and previously served Cleveland ISD in several roles. Trotter will remain on to assist in the transition until Jan. 5, 2022, and the Board will begin their search for a new Superintendent soon.