Superintendent of Schools

RUNGE ISD; Runge (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

RUNGE ISD is seeking a Superintendent of Schools to lead a small, rural district in Runge, Texas, with a focus on urgent academic improvement and TEA oversight. You will directly supervise instructional leadership, implement TEKS-aligned curricula, and manage resources to exit TEA conservatorship through measurable student outcomes.

The role requires a Master’s in Educational Leadership and a Texas Superintendent Certificate, plus at least five years of rural district leadership experience.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Educational Leadership or related field.
• Valid Texas Superintendent Certificate issued by TEA or eligible for waiver.
• Minimum of 5 years of successful school leadership experience, preferably turnaround in rural/small district.
• Deep knowledge of Texas accountability systems, rural finance, and TEA governance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead academic turnaround with TEKS-aligned instruction and oversight.
• Oversee budget, grants, and multi-role operations to maximize classroom impact.
• Recruit, develop, and retain staff in a geographically isolated rural district.
• Engage community, report transparently to TEA, and work with the Conservator and Board on governance.

Skills

Turnaround leadership

Rural district operations

Stakeholder engagement

Budget oversight

Leadership excellence

Education

Master’s degree in Educational Leadership

Valid Texas Superintendent Certificate

Job description

Superintendent of Schools

RUNGE ISD Central Office - Runge, Texas Open in Google Maps

This job is also posted in RUNGE ISD

Job Details

Job ID: 5927705

Application Deadline: Posted until filled

Posted: Sep 15, 2026 5:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: Immediately

Job Description

Leading a small, rural Texas school district with fewer than 200 students requires a unique blend of strategic transformation and hands‑on operational leadership. In this setting, the superintendent often acts as the human resources director, compliance officer, and instructional leader all at once.

Because the district faces a critical state intervention following four consecutive years of an F rating, the superintendent must operate under the direct oversight of a Texas Education Agency (TEA) Appointed Conservator. The absolute mandate is to rapidly raise student outcomes, avert a complete state takeover (the appointment of a Board of Managers), and maintain the viability of this rural school system.

Details

• Position Title: Superintendent of Schools
• Location: Runge, Texas (Region 3 Education Service Center)
• Reports To: Elected Board of Trustees, with final review and directive authority held by the TEA Appointed Conservator.
• Job Goal: To foster a culture of urgency, execute hyper-focused academic interventions, manage resources, and successfully exit TEA conservatorship through verified, multi-year state accountability improvements.

Key Responsibilities

Academic Turnaround & TEKS Alignment

• Direct Instructional Coaching: Personally oversee instruction across the campus(es), providing micro-level coaching to the leadership and teaching staff due to limited administrative layers.
• Curriculum Overhaul: Enforce immediate adoption of Bluebonnet, a high-quality, evidence-based instructional material aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
• Performance Management: Establish weekly and monthly progress monitoring utilizing curriculum-aligned assessments to track every individual student's growth.
• Targeted Interventions: Design and mandate daily, individualized tutoring and interventions for struggling students, maximizing the low teacher-to-student ratio.

State Intervention & Governance Collaboration

• Conservator Relations: Collaborate intensely with the TEA Conservator, submitting all required operational, fiscal, and academic decisions for review and approval as mandated under Texas Education Code § 39A.003.
• Board Alignment: Partner with the Board of Trustees and the Conservator to implement Lone Star Governance practices, focusing 50% or more of board meeting agendas strictly on student outcomes.
• Compliance Reporting: Author transparent, high-frequency progress reports for the TEA to document compliance with the state's turnaround plan and avert escalation to a Board of Managers.

Rural Talent Management & Culture

• Creative Recruitment: Drive teacher recruitment and retention using creative strategies to combat the challenges of geographic isolation and lower comparative salaries.
• Under-Performance Accountability: Deal decisively with staff under-performance, utilizing data-informed evaluations and clear documentation.
• Culture of High Expectations: Overturn a climate of historic under-performance, establishing a localized culture of intense academic urgency among staff, students, and Parents.

Fiscal & Multi-Role Operations

• Budget Management: Maximize every dollar of a lean rural budget, aggressively reallocating resources out of non-essential operations and directly into the classroom.
• Grant Leveraging: Fully capture and ethically manage state and federal small-school grants, Title funds, and turnaround subsidies.
• Wear Multiple Hats: Oversee or directly manage auxiliary logistics—such as transportation, food services, facilities, and PEIMS data reporting—due to a highly streamlined central office staff.

Community Preservation & Public Relations

• Community Engagement: Serve as the visible, accessible face of the district, restoring trust among rural families, alumni, and local business owners.
• Stakeholder Transparency: Demystify the TEA intervention process for the community, turning the academic turnaround effort into a collective, town-wide mission.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education & Certification

• Master’s degree in Educational Leadership or a related field.
• Valid Texas Superintendent Certificate issued by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) (or eligibility for an expedited TEA certification waiver under specific state conditions).

Experience & Competencies

• Minimum of 5 years of successful school leadership experience; background as a turnaround principal or central office leader in a rural or small-district setting is highly preferred.
• Proven track record of moving a campus or district out of an "Improvement Required" or F-rated state accountability status.
• Deep operational knowledge of the Texas state accountability system, rural school finance, and Texas Education Code.
• Exceptional resilience, high emotional intelligence, and the professional agility required to lead under intense regulatory scrutiny.

Position Type: Full-Time

Job Requirements

• Master degree preferred.

Contact Information

• Dr. Dino Coronado , Interim Superintendent
• Central Office
• Phone: [phone]
• Email: [e-mail]