WACO, TX — Waco Independent School District Board of Trustees President Pat Atkins will resign from his position after 17 years.
Atkins was first elected to the board in 2002 and served as board president for nine years.
He told board members he and his wife are planning to move outside of the WISD district area later this year. This move will make him ineligible to continue serving on the board.
“My wife is a Waco ISD teacher, and I have three children who graduated from Waco ISD schools,” Atkins said. “Serving on this school board has been extremely gratifying and, at times, very challenging. For the past 17 years, I have been blessed to work with a group of educators and board members who are deeply committed to the students in our community. We’ve faced difficult decisions, and we’ve disagreed at times. I’ve never doubted, though, that each of us was doing what we thought was best for kids.”
During his time on the board, the district has seen significant progress in its goal to expand opportunities for students to earn college credit, raise literacy rates and improve behavior and discipline.
“This year, 30 seniors will graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate’s degree from McLennan Community College. Between 2016 and 2018, the percentage of third graders passing the state reading assessment increased seven percentage points. Our out-of-school suspension rate has dropped by 51 percent since 2015,” he said.
Atkins also serves as the president of the Prosper Waco Board of Directors.
On May 23, school board members will discuss how to fill Atkins’ vacancy.
The board is also beginning its search for the district’s next superintendent.
