Judson Independent School District Superintendent Jeanette Ball resigned, effective immediately, after the board of trustees on Monday unanimously approved the resignation agreement.
Late Friday, the board quietly called a special meeting for Monday. After a four-hour deliberation in closed session, the board accepted the resignation agreement, which included paying Ball $140,000.
It is still unknown why Ball resigned or whether she was asked to resign, and district staff declined to comment, saying only that it was a “personnel matter.” Ball had led the district since 2018 and earlier this month helped shepherd a $345.3 million bond to approval by voters.
Ball was under contract through January 2025. Deputy Superintendent Milton Robert Fields will be interim superintendent until a new superintendent is appointed, board President Jennifer Rodriguez said.
The board recently discussed details to Ball’s contract and evaluation with attorneys during a closed session during board meetings on Nov. 16 and 17, but no information regarding what was discussed was disclosed.
At the board meeting Monday, a Judson ISD assistant superintendent signed up to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting and used that time to speak about Ball’s possible resignation.
“I just want to say I have worked for many superintendents, but I don’t think I have ever worked for one that has a bigger heart for kids and staff than Dr. Jeanette Ball,” said Bill Atkins, assistant superintendent of finance and operations, his voice cracking with emotion.
“Unfortunately that was her biggest asset and her biggest liability because people take advantage of that,” he said.
“There’s really not much I can say about it,” said Rodriguez of Ball’s resignation. “This is a personnel matter and we will be releasing the resignation agreement when all signatures are final. We hope the statement that comes with that will provide more clarity to the public.”
Ball was not at Monday’s meeting, and Rodriguez declined to comment when asked the reason for her resignation.
“I imagine anytime there’s a transition, that’s hard on everybody. There’s not much else I can say,” Rodriguez said when asked about staff’s emotional response to Ball’s resignation in general.
Speaking at a slow pace and holding back tears, Atkins said he understood the “decision is made” and said he wishes it could have been made in a different way.
“I respect the positions y’all hold and I don’t know all the information y’all have to make that decision,” he said to the board. “ … I hope that you do the right thing tonight.”
He walked away from the podium in tears and left the meeting, refusing to answer questions from reporters.
In the closed session, board members consulted with an attorney and reviewed the resignation agreement before taking action.
Ball’s senior staff waited in a private room near the board room the full four hours until the board’s decision was announced. Out of about 10 staff members, none would comment.
In a prepared statement, Nicole Taguinod, the district’s chief communications officer, said the resignation agreement trustees approved was not finalized.
“Until the agreement is finalized, we respectfully decline comment,” she stated. “We will follow up with a statement when there is more information to share.”
Ball assumed the position of superintendent with Judson ISD in 2018 after previously being superintendent of Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District. She also was named Superintendent of the year in 2021 for Education Service Center Region 20. The Judson ISD website said she received the honor for “her strong leadership skills, dedication to improving educational quality in her district, and commitment to public involvement in education.”
