Cleveland ISD board keeps superintendent, saves $1.6M in costs after public outcry

CLEVELAND —  Cleveland ISD’s board of trustees narrowly avoided a vote to buy out Superintendent Stephen McCanless’ contract late Tuesday night, a move that could have cost the school district upwards of $1.6 million.

Throughout two and a half hours of public comment, 18 community members passionately defended the superintendent and demanded the board reconsider his removal.

“(McCanless) will move heaven and Earth to make sure we are taken care of,” said Nicole Jennings, a district employee. “If you let this man go, our school district is going to crumble, and it is not going to be a slow crumble … it’ll be fast.”

The board relented after consulting with their attorney.

“There was an issue with some miscommunication,” board member Amanda Brooks said. “We will take no action on the contract of Superintendent McCanless.”

The crowd of nearly 80 people erupted into cheers.

The board’s president, Willie Carter, explained that four of the seven board members who had concerns about McCanless’ leadership were not aware exactly what it meant to set Tuesday’s special meeting to include a motion to “reconsider” McCanless’ contract.

“We will meet in a couple of weeks and sit down with both attorneys (the board’s and McCanless’) to mitigate our problems,” Carter said.

McCanless, visibly relieved, told Houston Landing he is looking forward to resolving any miscommunication or misunderstanding that the board may have with him.

“My focus has been, is and always will be what is best for students in this district,” he said.

Why did the board want to remove McCanless?

The motivation behind board members’ desire to remove McCanless remains unclear.

The superintendent requested that the board’s discussion about his contract be an open meeting and not part of an executive session closed to the public.

During that deliberation, trustees Wendy McNair, Jennifer Peña, Shaq Sampson and Bethany Porter cited concerns about the district’s “poor performance,” “multiple failing schools,” a contract the board approved last year that paid McCanless’ wife’s company and “numerous open meetings violations.”

“I’d love to sit here and say it’s not personal,” McNair told McCanless during the open discussion. “But I think you were brought in too quickly without the appropriate people around you.”

In turn, Carter read a letter from Julie Pickren, who serves on the State Board of Education District 7 , which represents Liberty County, commending McCanless for his ability to navigate Cleveland ISD’s unique growth challenges, which come directly from Colony Ridge — the largest development in Liberty County.

The TEA labeled Cleveland ISD as the “fastest growing district in Texas” in October 2019. Over the past decade the district has quadrupled in size from about 3,300 students enrolled in 2013 to over 12,000 at the end of 2023-2024 school year.

“There’s a lot of reasons why we’re here,” Carter said, acknowledging the district’s challenges. “There are failing campuses, students coming into this district in the 12th grade non-English speaking … that’s a hell of a position to put a teacher in. I’m just being real with you.”

The board president acknowledged that McCanless has moved faculty around and it has caused some disgruntlement among staff, who have complained to McNair and other trustees.

But he implored the rest of the board to consider the financial ramifications of their frustrations.

“You cannot fix this problem overnight,” Carter said. “It’s a process.”

Had the board voted to pay out McCanless’ contract, the district would have been on the hook for more than $1.6 million. That lump sum includes three years of his salary, benefits, attorney fees and additional monies to appoint an interim superintendent and search for a new full-time executive, Carter said.

A chorus of support

Tephanie Green approached the podium during the meeting’s public comment shaking her head in disbelief.

The Cleveland native graduated from and played basketball for the district. She has known McCanless for over a decade since he was the principal of Cleveland High School back when he helped Green with a problem her son was having at school.

“If you have a problem, then you go to him,” she said, beseeching the board. “He carried the city on this back. I know he’s done a lot of good more than he’s done bad!”

Husband and wife Ernest and Don Belt also spoke on behalf of McCanless.

“This hurts my soul,” Ernest said, choking back tears. “When people get wronged … it’s wrong. You have a disagreement with him? You work it out, You don’t jump the gun.”

Her husband, Don, served on the district’s school board for two terms and questioned why three of the trustees wanted McCanless removed even though they had only recently been elected to the board in May.

“I went to a number of seminars, training sessions to learn the duties and responsibilities of a school board person,” he said. “Screw your head on right and get some training. You can’t have any training … you’ve only been on the board for two months.”

For his part, McCanless said he is just grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve the district’s students.

“I have not veered off of that focus since I have been here, and since I have been superintendent,” he said. “I look forward to the board learning that about me and working together to do what is best for Cleveland ISD.