Another North Texas superintendent set to leave

Weatherford's Deborah Cron announced last night that she will be retiring in December. District officials said the news was a surprise.

"I love this District, and I so very much enjoy working with the educators and staff members who comprise our team,” Cron wrote in an  e-mail to  staff. “We have made tremendous gains in student success over the past 10 years, and I thank you for the work you do each and every day to ensure our students are learning.”

Cron has been in Weatherford for a decade. Officials credited her with marked improvement on state tests in recent years and the implementation of a improvement model aimed at making businesses more effective and efficient. In April, the district received the Texas Award for Performance Excellence by the Quality Texas Foundation for such improvements.

But like most districts across the state, Weatherford had been struggling with budget challenges this year. Officials sought to implement furloughs or pay cuts should state law change and allow them to do so for school staff. The board recently approved a $60 extracurricular fee to help with associated costs of such activities, such as sports, drill team, cheerleading, band or choir.

Last year, Weatherford was one of the few districts in the state to pass a tax ratification election to help boost maintenance and operating revenue through property taxes. To offset the increased tax, district officials also lowered its debt service tax.

Cron has previously worked in the Garland school district for 29 years, where she is the assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum and instruction.  Her husband Bill Cron is associate dean for Graduate Programs at the Neely School for Business at Texas Christian University.

Last month, the Fort Worth and Dallas superintendents announced their plans to leave. Today is Fort Worth superintendent Melody Johnson's last day at her post.

-Eva-Marie Ayala

 

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