Ector County ISD Superintendent Scott Muri made it official Tuesday night retiring from his post after five years.
The ECISD Board of Trustees accepted his voluntary retirement agreement and named Keeley Boyer as interim superintendent.
Board member Delma Abalos said appointing Boyer as superintendent will mean a smooth transition until they finalize the search for a superintendent.
Trustee Dawn Miller abstained from the vote, which also made Muri superintendent emeritus.
“I didn’t agree with some of the financial implications of the agreement. I wasn’t against it, but just knowing what the situation is with some of my schools and the financial situation in general we’re asking everyone to take cuts and yet we have a huge financial responsibility to someone who’s essentially going to be part time at best,” Miller said.
She added that she knows a lot of people felt Muri did a great job, but he was paid for it.
Boyer will be doing two jobs, she said, and there’s no requirement for Muri to be on-site. Miller noted that the district is still in the red and “yet we’re giving money away.”
She said she would have liked to get more information on how many districts have superintendent emerita, and gone through negotiations, or gone some other way.
Next week, trustees will finalize a contract for Boyer, who is currently chief of schools, at next Tuesday’s meeting. Muri said she will be the person in charge the next day.
“I’ll be beside her. I’ll report to the board and then help her lead the system and then be responsible for some of the specific work in the organization such as the bond and some other tactical projects,” Muri said after the meeting.
Muri said he will be working in and for the district until Jan. 30, 2025.
His salary is $328,801 and his contract runs through June 30, 2028.
Muri said he completed 36 years in education and is starting year 37.
“I am a spiritual person and God has always put emotions and feelings in my life. I become attached — attached to people and places and things and so about six months ago, I started to feel that it’s time to move into the next chapter. My retirement job has always been to live near a university and teach leadership, so that’s what I’m going to do. I’m retiring from the superintendency and going to teach and coach and mentor superintendents from across the country,” Muri said.
He said he will live in Florida, but will work with people from all over the country. Muri doesn’t know where yet in Florida.
Muri thanked the seven board members for an incredible journey and said this was the best opportunity of his career “bar none.”
“What we have done for kids in this community has been remarkable,” Muri said.
He added hat he will always be a part of team ECISD and thanked the board for an opportunity of a lifetime.
“A piece of me will always be in this place,” he said.
He added his thanks to the community and said he has loved every minute of it, except for a “few COVID moments.”
Muri is one of the district’s longest serving superintendents tied with Tom Crowe. He also has become one of the most respected superintendents in Texas and has helped the district gain a national reputation.
The official announcement of his retirement from the district came on the second day of school.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of a $12 million deficit due to lack of state funding that has forced elimination of teacher positions and contracts.
Muri has been superintendent at ECISD since 2019. He has helped improve state accountability ratings, led the district through the aftermath of the mass shooting in August 2019, the COVID pandemic, a severe teacher shortage and helped spearhead a $424 million bond.
District enrollment increased from 32,810 in 2022 to 33,500 in 2023.
The number of ECISD police officers has increased from 32 in 2019 to 48 this year. The district has achieved A rating financial scores for five years, increased career and technical education enrollment and the number of CTE pathways.
When he started, there were 350 teacher vacancies and there were 36 in 2023. Teacher compensation has increased from $44,000 in 2017 to $60,600 in 2024.
Salaries also rose across other positions.
The district also has developed many teacher pipelines, along with diagnostician and school counselor pathways, principal fellows, an aspiring principal academy and others.
The district has five National Board Certified teachers and has many more in the pipeline working toward that achievement.
The graduation rate is the highest in more than 22 years at 85.7 percent.
ECISD also became the first place in the nation to have a registered apprenticeship program for principals.
Kindergarten readiness has increased from 35 percent in 2019 to 54 percent in 2023, surpassing the state’s 49 percent.
Sixty-six (66) percent of the students who attended prekindergarten in ECISD are kindergarten ready this school year.
Boyer said after the meeting that she was both honored and super excited to be named interim superintendent. She added that she looks forward to working with the staff and continuing to work with Muri, getting guidance from him and working with the board as a team of eight.
“I’ve been a part of this team for three years, so I’ve been a part of the work and I’m looking forward to continuing the work, continuing to work with the team. I’m very proud of the improved outcomes that we have made for students …,” Boyer said.
She’s been with ECISD for three years as chief of schools and had been a regional superintendent in Portland, Oregon, supervising 35 schools.
