LIVE OAK, Texas – The Judson Independent School District school board will consider terminating its superintendent at a special Wednesday night meeting, according to an online meeting agenda.
The board has now placed an agenda item regarding Milton “Rob” Fields III’s employment at least four times in the last year, according to an independent KSAT review of previous meeting agendas.
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Fields was the district’s sole finalist for the superintendent position in April 2023 before he officially earned the title in May 2023. In recent weeks, his leadership of the district has been called into question as Judson ISD navigates a multimillion-dollar budget crisis and potential cuts to multiple programs.
During a Jan. 10 special meeting, the school board took back a vote that would have relieved Fields of his duties.
Instead, the board voted 6-1 in favor of placing him on administrative leave with pay. Lacey Gosch, the district’s assistant superintendent of technology, was appointed as Judson ISD’s interim superintendent.
Board trustee José A. Macias Jr. was the lone vote cast against the decision to proceed “as discussed in closed session.”
“Dr. Fields is still our Superintendent,” Macias said in a Jan. 10 Facebook post. ”And for now, that is what matters the most.”
In a Jan. 15 text exchange with KSAT Investigates, Macias called for an investigation into Judson ISD School Board President Monica Ryan. He alleges Ryan has abused her board authority and intimidated district employees.
“I am not saying that she has conducted herself inappropriately,” Macias told KSAT Investigates on Jan. 15. “I am asking that we determine if those allegations have merit.”
Ryan also addressed the allegations on social media.
“Disgusting does not even begin to describe learning that a fellow board member has shared false claims about my children with members of the public and, now, with media outlets,” Ryan said via a Jan. 14 Facebook post.
Judson ISD to discuss campus consolidation next week
The district will also consider consolidating its campuses as one potential cost-saving measure to address a $37 million deficit for the 2025-26 school year.
The school board will discuss how many campuses to consolidate during a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 9.
According to a meeting packet submitted by Gosch, the “best practice” is to keep campus usage at no greater than 85% of total building capacity.
The district could experience as much as a 6.22% decrease in enrollment over the course of the next five years, according to a demographics report prepared for the district by Zonda Demographics. The report cited lower birth rates and the expansion of school choice as reasons for the projected enrollment drop.
The packet lists four possible scenarios. All scenarios include closing one middle school that feeds into Judson or Veterans Memorial high schools, as well as between one and four elementary schools:
- Scenario 1: Close one elementary school that feeds into Judson or Veterans Memorial high schools
- Reduces deficit by $4 million (11%)
- Scenario 2: Close two elementary schools that feed into Judson or Veterans Memorial high schools
- Reduces deficit by $5.5 million (15%)
- Scenario 3: Close three elementary schools
- Option 1: One elementary school closed from all three feeder patterns
- Option 2: One elementary school closed that feeds into Judson High School and two elementary schools closed that feed into Veterans Memorial High School
- Reduces deficit by $7 million (19%)
- Scenario 4: Close four elementary schools — one that feeds into Judson High School, one that feeds into Wagner High School and two that feed into Veterans Memorial High School
- Reduces deficit by $8.5 million (23%)
According to the demographics packet, the remainder of the deficit will have to come from staffing cuts. The fewer schools shut down, the more staff cuts there will be.
The district said Scenario 1 and Scenario 2 allow the district more time to address growth trends but uncertainty remains. The district may have to close more campuses in the future.
Meanwhile, according to the district, Scenario 3 and Scenario 4 would more evenly distribute the consolidations across all feeder patterns, but it may result in longer bus rides.
This story is developing. Check back for more updates.
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