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School board dismissals of district superintendents, 2022-2025
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School boards hire superintendents, who serve an executive role overseeing the day-to-day operations of a school district, including managing budgets, hiring staff, and developing educational policies.[1][2] School boards also have the power remove superintendents. The reasons school boards remove superintendents can range from accusations of misconduct to disagreements over educational policy and district performance.
As of February 28, 2025, Ballotpedia had tracked 51 instances in which school boards voted to dismiss district superintendents since 2022. Ballotpedia tracked 1 dismissal in 2025, 17 in 2023 and 14 in 2022.
This article tracks cases in which school boards have voted to dismiss superintendents beginning in 2022. If you are aware of cases we've missed, email editor@ballotpedia.org to let us know.
Recent activity
The four most recent stories are displayed below.
- January 22, 2025: The Memphis-Shelby County Schools voted 5-2 (with two members voting "present") to fire Superintendent Marie Feagins.[3]
- December 23, 2024: The Chicago Public Schools board of education, in Illinois, voted 7-0 to fire Superintendent Pedro Martinez. Under the terms of his contract, Martinez could stay on for an additional six months.[4]
- December 3, 2024: The Grand Prairie Independent School District board of trustees, in Texas, voted 5-2 to remove Superintendent Jorge Arredondo.[5]
- November 21, 2024: The Laguna Beach Unified School District board, in California, voted 5-0 to terminate Superintendent Jason Viloria.[6]
School district superintendent dismissals by state
Hover over the map to see the number of superintendent dismissals we've tracked in any given state.
The following table lists instances in which school boards have dismissed district superintendents.
Summary statistics
The chart below shows the number of superintendent dismissals per month, beginning in 2022. Hover over a month to see the number of dismissals.
The data is presented below:
| School district superintendent dismissals | ||
|---|---|---|
| Month | Year | Superintendent dismissals |
| January | 2025 | 1 |
| December | 2024 | 2 |
| November | 2024 | 2 |
| October | 2024 | 2 |
| September | 2024 | 1 |
| August | 2024 | 2 |
| July | 2024 | 3 |
| June | 2024 | 1 |
| May | 2024 | 1 |
| April | 2024 | 1 |
| March | 2024 | 2 |
| January | 2024 | 1 |
| December | 2023 | 1 |
| November | 2023 | 2 |
| September | 2023 | 1 |
| August | 2023 | 1 |
| July | 2023 | 2 |
| June | 2023 | 2 |
| May | 2023 | 1 |
| April | 2023 | 2 |
| February | 2023 | 1 |
| January | 2023 | 4 |
| December | 2022 | 3 |
| November | 2022 | 4 |
| July | 2022 | 1 |
| April | 2022 | 3 |
| March | 2022 | 2 |
| February | 2022 | 1 |
Noteworthy events
This section highlights superintendent dismissals following changes in school board partisan majorities.
Orange County districts fire superintendents (2022-2023)
On Jan. 6, 2023, the Orange Unified School District school board in Orange County, Calif., voted 4-3 to fire Superintendent Gunn Marie Hansen.[8] The board deliberated behind closed doors, and did not explain its decision. Hansen became superintendent of Orange Unified School District in 2017, having previously served as the district's superintendent of educational services.
The motion to fire Hanson followed the November 2022 elections, when conservatives gained a majority on the Orange Unified Board of Education school board.[8] Madison Miner defeated Kathryn Moffat, a 22-year incumbent, in the general election for Orange Unified Board of Education Trustee Area 4. Miner completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey. In the survey, Miner said she planned to “Cut wasteful spending and return tax dollars to the classrooms where they belong. Protect our parents’ rights with medical and school choice decisions. Adopt better options to replace the current ethnic studies and sex ed curriculum.”
Hansen was the second Orange County public school superintendent fired in a three-week period.
On Dec. 21, 2022, the Capistrano Unified School District school board voted 4-3 to fire Superintendent Kirsten Vital Brulte.[9] Board President Krista Castellanos said in an email: “It is important to mention that the action taken was not for cause. We are grateful for her leadership and wish her the best in her future endeavors.” Brulte became superintendent in 2014. Conservatives had also gained a majority on the Capistrano Unified school board in November 2022.[8]
Brevard Public Schools dismisses superintendent (2022)
On Nov. 22, 2022, the Brevard Public Schools school board voted 3-2 to move forward with terminating Superintendent Mark Mullins’ contract with the district.[10] Mullins agreed to resign.
The board's decision to dismiss Mullins followed the November 2022 elections, when Republicans gained a 4-1 majority.[11] Megan Wright was one of the candidates elected in November 2022. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), endorsed Wright.[12]
Timeline
- January 22, 2025: The Memphis-Shelby County Schools voted 5-2 (with two members voting "present") to fire Superintendent Marie Feagins.[13]
- December 23, 2024: The Chicago Public Schools board of education, in Illinois, voted 7-0 to fire Superintendent Pedro Martinez. Under the terms of his contract, Martinez could stay on for an additional six months.[14]
- December 3, 2024: The Grand Prairie Independent School District board of trustees, in Texas, voted 5-2 to remove Superintendent Jorge Arredondo.[15]
- November 21, 2024: The Laguna Beach Unified School District board, in California, voted 5-0 to terminate Superintendent Jason Viloria.[16]
- November 19, 2024: The Mart Independent School District board, in Texas, voted 6-1 to remove Superintendent Betsy Burnett.[17]
- October 15, 2024: The Alachua County Public Schools board of trustees, in Florida, voted 3-2 to dismiss Superintendent Shane Andrew.[18]
- October 3, 2024: The Santa Clara Unified School District school board, in California, voted 4-2 to fire Superintendent Mary Ann Dewan.[19]
- September 24, 2024: The St. Louis Public Schools board, in Missouri, voted 6-0 to fire Superintendent Keisha Scarlett.[20]
- August 22, 2024: The Antioch Unified School District school board voted 5-0 to fire Superintendent Stephanie Anello.[21]
- August 13, 2024: The Rapid City Area School District in South Dakota voted 6-1 to dismiss Superintendent Nicole Swigart.[22]
- July 29, 2024: The Newberg School District in Oregon voted to fire Superintendent Dr. Stephen Phillips.[23]
- July 23, 2024: The Humble Independent School District school board in Texas voted 4-3 to dismiss Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen.[24]
- July 3, 2024: The New Hanover County Schools school board in North Carolina voted 5-0 to dismiss Superintendent Charles Foust.[25]
- June 6, 2024: The New Lothrop Area Public Schools school board in Michigan voted to dismiss Superintendent Heather Thompson-Luznak.[26]
- May 29, 2024: The Cambridge Public Schools school board voted 5-2 to dismiss Superintendent Victoria Greer. The board gave her 90 days notice.[27]
- April 30, 2024: The Poway Unified School District school board in California voted 5-0 to dismiss Superintendent Marian Kim-Phelps.[28]
- March 25, 2024: The Castle Rock School District in Washington voted to dismiss Superintendent Ryan Greene.[29]
- March 14, 2024: The Spotsylvania County Public Schools board in Virginia voted 7-0 to dismiss Superintendent Mark Taylor.[30]
- January 12, 2024: The Claremont School District board in New Hampshire voted to terminate Superintendent Michael Tempesta's contract.[31]
- December 28, 2023: The Keppel Union School District board voted 3-2 to remove Superintendent Terry Walker.[32]
- November 28, 2023: The Utica City School District board voted 5-2 to remove Superintendent Bruce Karam.[33]
- November 10, 2023: The South Orange-Maplewood School District board in New Jersey voted 6-3 to remove Superintendent Ronald Taylor.[34]
- September 20, 2023: The Moreno Valley Unified School District Board of Education in California voted 3-2 to remove Superintendent Martinrex Kedziora.[35]
- August 17, 2023: The Cobb County School District in Georgia voted 4-3 to remove Superintendent Chris Ragsdale.[36]
- July 21, 2023: The Blackhawk School District voted 7-2 to remove Superintendent Robert Postupac.[37]
- July 17, 2023: The Nyssa School District in Oregon voted to dismiss Superintendent Darren Johnson.[38]
- June 14, 2023: The Temecula Valley Unified School District in California voted 3-1 to fire Superintendent Jodi McClay.[39]
- June 7, 2023: The Greenwood-Leflore Consolidated School District voted 3-2 to dismiss Superintendent James Johnson-Waldington.[40]
- May 16, 2023: The Escambia County School Board voted 3-2 to terminate Superintendent Tim Smith's contract.[41]
- April 22, 2023: The Merced City School Board voted 5-0 to dismiss Superintendent Diana Jimenez.[42]
- April 18, 2023: The West Memphis School District voted to dismiss Superintendent Richard Atwill.[43]
See also
- School choice in the United States
- School board elections, 2025
- School board recalls, 2025
- Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2023
- State takeovers of K-12 public school districts
Footnotes
- ↑ Zippier, "Who's the boss of the superintendent," December 16, 2021
- ↑ Thought Co., "Examining The Role of an Effective School Superintendent," June 30, 2019
- ↑ Commercial Appeal, "MSCS school board on Tuesday fired Superintendent Marie Feagins. Here's how it played out," January 22, 2025
- ↑ Hyde Park Herald, "Chicago school board fires CEO Pedro Martinez," December 23, 2024
- ↑ KERA News, "Grand Prairie school board votes to fire Superintendent Jorge Arredondo," December 3, 2024
- ↑ The Laguna Beach Independent, "LBUSD board terminates superintendent contract," November 22, 2024
- ↑ one member absent
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 EdSource, "Orange Unified’s conservative majority fires superintendent with a day’s notice," January 6, 2023
- ↑ The Capistrano Dispatch, "Capo Unified Trustees Announce Termination of Superintendent’s Contract," December 22, 2022
- ↑ The Capitolist, "Brevard County Superintendent latest to be ousted by school board vote," November 28, 2022
- ↑ Florida Today, "Chair Misty Belford's primary defeat puts conservative majority on Brevard School Board," August 2024
- ↑ Florida Today, "DeSantis endorses Megan Wright, Brevard School Board candidate challenging Misty Belford," June 22, 2022
- ↑ Commercial Appeal, "MSCS school board on Tuesday fired Superintendent Marie Feagins. Here's how it played out," January 22, 2025
- ↑ Hyde Park Herald, "Chicago school board fires CEO Pedro Martinez," December 23, 2024
- ↑ KERA News, "Grand Prairie school board votes to fire Superintendent Jorge Arredondo," December 3, 2024
- ↑ The Laguna Beach Independent, "LBUSD board terminates superintendent contract," November 22, 2024
- ↑ KWTX, "Mart ISD School Board said they acted in best interest of district after sudden termination of superintendent," November 25, 2024
- ↑ The Gainesville Sun, "In 3-2 vote, Alachua County School Board fires superintendent," October 15, 2024
- ↑ NBC Bay Area, "Santa Clara County education board fires schools superintendent without cause," October 3, 2024
- ↑ Spectrum Local News, "SLPS Board of Education terminates superintendent's contract,"September 24, 2024
- ↑ NBC News, "California school district superintendent is terminated after rooftop desk prank, bullying allegations," August 23, 2024
- ↑ Kelo Land, "Rapid City school board fires superintendent," August 14, 2024
- ↑ KOIN 6, "Newberg-Dundee school board votes to fire superintendent amid his leave," July 29, 2024
- ↑ Houston Landing, "‘The trust broke’: Humble ISD board votes to fire superintendent following frayed relationship," July 23, 2024
- ↑ Spectrum News 1, "New Hanover County Schools fires superintendent," July 3, 2024
- ↑ The Argus-Press, "Trail of deceit: NL superintendent fired after investigation finds ‘red flags’ on her resume," June 7, 2024
- ↑ Cambridge Day, "Cambridge superintendent is voted out 5-2, ending a long process filled with negotiation," May 29, 2024
- ↑ San Diego Union-Tribune, "Poway Unified superintendent fired amid harassment allegations by Del Norte softball players," April 30, 2024
- ↑ Longview Daily News, "Castle Rock School District fires superintendent following his lawsuit over contract error," March 25, 2024
- ↑ WJLA, "Spotsylvania County Schools superintendent Mark Taylor fired by school board," March 13, 2024
- ↑ Valley News, "Board fires Claremont, Unity superintendent," January 12, 2024
- ↑ Antelope Valley Press, "Keppel board fires superintendent," December 30, 2023
- ↑ Observer-Dispatch, "Utica school board fires Superintendent Bruce Karam. What happens next?" November 28, 2023
- ↑ New Jersey, "N.J. school district removes superintendent amid complaints," November 10, 2023
- ↑ KTLA, "Moreno Valley school district superintendent fired," September 20, 2023
- ↑ East Cobb News, "Divided Cobb school board votes to uphold firing of teacher," August 17, 2023
- ↑ Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Blackhawk School Board fires superintendent after ethics violations," July 21, 2023
- ↑ The Malheur Enterprise, "Board sends Nyssa superintendent on his way – with a year’s pay," July 18, 2023
- ↑ ABC 7, "Temecula Valley school board fires superintendent as teachers protest over curriculum ban," June 14, 2023
- ↑ The Greenwood Commonwealth, "GLCSD Board Fires Johnson-Waldington," June 6, 2023
- ↑ News WKRG 5, "Escambia Co. school board fires Superintendent Tim Smith," May 16, 2023
- ↑ Merced Sun-Star, "Merced City Schools superintendent fired during special board meeting," April 22, 2023
- ↑ Action News 5, "West Memphis School Board fires superintendent," April 18, 2023
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