Last Thursday, Chris Clark was appointed acting superintendent with a 6-1 vote, after Dr. Bruce Gearing announced his retirement on Monday. While the timeline and process of picking a permanent superintendent will begin early 2026, the outline is still unclear.
“The board had faith in me to lead this school district through the next several months as we transition to a new superintendent,” Clark said. “There was a feeling of being honored that somebody would bestow that trust within me. [I’m] just excited at the opportunity to continue the work I already do, but in a different way.”
Due to low enrollment, and limited state funding, Leander ISD is at a $12.8 million deficit. The board is considering closing three elementary schools: Faubion, Cypress and Steiner Ranch, which would save approximately $3 million.
“Coming in as acting superintendent just last Thursday, it’s a very unique situation,” Clark said. “While I have been involved in some of the prior discussions, my role now is different. So I think where we are now is providing information to the board so they can make the best decision that they can. It’s helping them understand all the various aspects of what different decisions could mean.”
Tonight, the school board is scheduled to vote whether to move forward with the elementary school closures, and whether to adjust staffing.
The board is considering three plans:
Plan 1: To close two elementary schools for the next school year, Faubion, and Steiner Ranch Elementary.
Plan 2: Cut staff at under-enrolled schools and remove assistant principals at campus with less than 350 students at elementary schools.
Plan 3: Combination of plan 1 and 2, close Faubion and Steiner Ranch Elementary, and staffing changes will be implemented.
“I would love to be able to find a magic bullet where we could remedy this deficit and kids never know the difference,” Clark said. “I know that’s not a reality. My biggest concern is that somehow decisions that we make negatively impact any student in any way, but primarily their learning. But I think we can do it in such a way that we prevent drastic impacts where kids lose opportunities or access to services that they need in some way.”
Clark said 80-85% of the district’s budget is staffing, with the only way to reduce significant amounts through staff changes.
“When we’re reducing positions, we try to handle all those lost positions through attrition so that no person that wants to stay here and keep looking actually loses their job,” Clark said.
Clark has been with Leander ISD for two and a half years, where began as an assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. Then in 2024, he was named deputy superintendent of learning and innovation.
“For the last five-ish years I’ve had that desire to eventually be a superintendent,” Clark said, “I’ll be honest that I wasn’t anticipating this exactly on this timeline, but when Dr. Gearing decided to retire and I was given this opportunity [I took] that chance, even though it wasn’t exactly what I planned.”
Throughout his decades in education, Clark has been a bus driver, instructional assistant, elementary and middle school teacher, assistant principal and principal.
“I bring all that with me into this role,” Clark said. “So understanding the work that those individuals do day in and out, I think it makes me a better leader. Now, it’s been a while since I’ve done those things, but you can pull up those memories and have empathy and some understanding with everybody that works within the district.”
Clark said his goal is to make decisions that positively impacts students, by operating in a transparent, open and honest way.
“Now that I’m at this level I think it’s important for you [students] to know when I make a decision or a recommendation to our board for a decision, there are impacts to you,” Clark said. “I think it’s important for students to know that so you can come and advocate for what your needs are or communicate to us in such a way that we know what is most important to you in school.”
On Jan. 8 the board of trustees will have an extended budget workshop to address Leander deficits.
“We have a budget deficit coming our way that we have to remedy,” Clark said. “The goal of not just mine, but everybody in this district is to minimize the impact of any reductions we make on the student experience.”