Tex. Codes » Education Code · TITLE 2. PUBLIC EDUCATION · SUBTITLE C. LOCAL ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNANCE · CHAPTER 11. SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Texas Codes

Tex. Educ. Code § 11.201 (2026)

Superintendents

✓ current as of May 2026
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Sec. 11.201. SUPERINTENDENTS. (a) The superintendent is the educational leader and the chief executive officer of the school district.

(b) The board of trustees of an independent school district may employ by contract a superintendent for a term not to exceed five years.

(c) For purposes of this subsection, "severance payment" means any amount paid by the board of trustees of an independent school district to or in behalf of a superintendent on early termination of the superintendent's contract that exceeds the amount earned by the superintendent under the contract as of the date of termination, including any amount that exceeds the amount of earned standard salary and benefits that is paid as a condition of early termination of the contract. The board of trustees that makes a severance payment to a superintendent shall report the terms of the severance payment to the commissioner. The commissioner shall reduce the district's Foundation School Program funds by any amount that the amount of the severance payment to the superintendent exceeds an amount equal to one year's salary and benefits under the superintendent's terminated contract. The commissioner may adopt rules as necessary to administer this subsection.

(d) The duties of the superintendent include:

(1) assuming administrative responsibility and leadership for the planning, organization, operation, supervision, and evaluation of the education programs, services, and facilities of the district and for the annual performance appraisal of the district's staff;

(2) except as provided by Section 11.202, assuming administrative authority and responsibility for the assignment, supervision, and evaluation of all personnel of the district other than the superintendent;

(3) overseeing compliance with the standards for school facilities established by the commissioner under Section 46.008;

(4) initiating the termination or suspension of an employee or the nonrenewal of an employee's term contract;

(5) managing the day-to-day operations of the district as its administrative manager, including implementing and monitoring plans, procedures, programs, and systems to achieve clearly defined and desired results in major areas of district operations;

(6) preparing and submitting to the board of trustees a proposed budget as provided by Section 44.002 and rules adopted under that section, and administering the budget;

(7) preparing recommendations for policies to be adopted by the board of trustees and overseeing the implementation of adopted policies;

(8) developing or causing to be developed appropriate administrative regulations to implement policies established by the board of trustees;

(9) providing leadership for the attainment and, if necessary, improvement of student performance in the district based on the indicators adopted under Sections 39.053 and 39.301 and other indicators adopted by the commissioner or the district's board of trustees;

(10) organizing the district's central administration;

(11) consulting with the district-level committee as required under Section 11.252(f);

(12) ensuring:

(A) adoption of a student code of conduct as required under Section 37.001 and enforcement of that code of conduct; and

(B) adoption and enforcement of other student disciplinary rules and procedures as necessary;

(13) submitting reports as required by state or federal law, rule, or regulation, and ensuring that a copy of any report required by federal law, rule, or regulation is also delivered to the agency;

(14) providing joint leadership with the board of trustees to ensure that the responsibilities of the board and superintendent team are carried out; and

(15) performing any other duties assigned by action of the board of trustees.

(e) Repealed by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1177 (H.B. 3372), Sec. 2, eff. June 22, 2025.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 955, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 90 (H.B. 189), Sec. 1, eff. May 15, 2007.

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1244 (H.B. 2563), Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2007.

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 895 (H.B. 3), Sec. 8, eff. June 19, 2009.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1042 (H.B. 1706), Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2015.

Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1177 (H.B. 3372), Sec. 2, eff. June 22, 2025.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 18 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1996–2023 · leading case: Choctaw Props., L.L.C. v. Aledo I.S.D., 127 S.W.3d 235 (Tex. App. 2003).
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Choctaw Props., L.L.C. v. Aledo I.S.D., 127 S.W.3d 235 (Tex. App. 2003). · cites it 4× “" Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 11.201 (a) (Vernon Supp.”
Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist., 537 S.W.3d 142 (Tex. App. 2017). · cites it 2× “Code § 21,046 (listing qualifications for certification as superintendent or principal); 19 Tex.”
Chavez v. Brownsville Indep. Sch. Dist., 135 F. App'x 664 (5th Cir. 2005). “” Tex. Educ.Code § 11.201(d)(5). Clearly, Sauceda was managing the District’s operations by dealing with the cafeteria plan.”
Hill v. Silsbee Indep. Sch. Dist., 933 F. Supp. 616 (E.D. Tex. 1996). “Hill, in his Supplemental Response to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgement, argues that Superintendent Muckleroy is a final policy-maker pursuant to Texas Education Code Section 11.201 (codifying Senate Bill 1, 1995 Legislature).”
Jones v. Houston Indep. Sch. Dist. Bd. of Trs., 986 F. Supp. 2d 812 (S.D. Tex. 2013). “The Termination Notice addressed to Jones also said that the decision could not be appealed. Nevertheless, Jones pursued his grievance through several administrative levels.”
Premier Learning Academy, Inc. v. Texas Educ. Agency, 521 S.W.3d 439 (Tex. App. 2017). “Tex. Educ. Code § 11.201(c). Premier argues, “[Sickmiller’s affidavit] proves that the Board budgeted and approved payment of one-year’s post-revocation salary to [Premier’s] Superintendent and that it was a necessary and proper expense.”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). · cites it 8× “Texas Education Code §11.201 and §11.202 5.”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). · cites it 4× “36 Amicus Curiae TASB-LAF – Brief in Support of Appellee, Crosby ISD Page 9 of 47 TEX. EDUC. CODE §11.201(a)………………………………………………….”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). · cites it 4× “ix Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 11.201 (d)(2) ....”
Stetson Roane v. Halcy Martin Dean (Tex. App. 2020). · cites it 2× “And we can find no principled rationale to distinguish why Creditwatch’s holding should apply to the CEO in that case but not to Roane, as the superintendent, in this case.”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). · cites it 3× “8 TEX. EDUC. CODE § 11.201 ................”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). · cites it 3× “TEX. EDUC. CODE §§ 11.201, 21.212. It is instead the fact the superintendent is only answerable to the school board as the chief executive officer of the school district that makes the office of superintendent sui generis.”
Show all 18 citing cases →
— Tex. Educ. Code § 11.201(a) — 6 cases
Jones v. Houston Indep. Sch. Dist. Bd. of Trs., 986 F. Supp. 2d 812 (S.D. Tex. 2013). “The Termination Notice addressed to Jones also said that the decision could not be appealed. Nevertheless, Jones pursued his grievance through several administrative levels.”
Stetson Roane v. Halcy Martin Dean (Tex. App. 2020). “And we can find no principled rationale to distinguish why Creditwatch’s holding should apply to the CEO in that case but not to Roane, as the superintendent, in this case.”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). “8 TEX. EDUC. CODE § 11.201 ................”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). “Texas Education Code §11.201 and §11.202 5.”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). “36 Amicus Curiae TASB-LAF – Brief in Support of Appellee, Crosby ISD Page 9 of 47 TEX. EDUC. CODE §11.201(a)………………………………………………….”
— Tex. Educ. Code § 11.201(c) — 1 case
Premier Learning Academy, Inc. v. Texas Educ. Agency, 521 S.W.3d 439 (Tex. App. 2017). “Tex. Educ. Code § 11.201(c). Premier argues, “[Sickmiller’s affidavit] proves that the Board budgeted and approved payment of one-year’s post-revocation salary to [Premier’s] Superintendent and that it was a necessary and proper expense.”
— Tex. Educ. Code § 11.201(d) — 1 case
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). “36 Amicus Curiae TASB-LAF – Brief in Support of Appellee, Crosby ISD Page 9 of 47 TEX. EDUC. CODE §11.201(a)………………………………………………….”
— Tex. Educ. Code § 11.201(d)(2) — 3 cases
Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist., 537 S.W.3d 142 (Tex. App. 2017). “Code § 21,046 (listing qualifications for certification as superintendent or principal); 19 Tex.”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). “TEX. EDUC. CODE §§ 11.201, 21.212. It is instead the fact the superintendent is only answerable to the school board as the chief executive officer of the school district that makes the office of superintendent sui generis.”
Hermenia Jenkins v. Crosby Indep. Sch. Dist. & Michael L. Williams in His Off. Capacity as State Comm'r of Educ. (Tex. App. 2015). “36 Amicus Curiae TASB-LAF – Brief in Support of Appellee, Crosby ISD Page 9 of 47 TEX. EDUC. CODE §11.201(a)………………………………………………….”
— Tex. Educ. Code § 11.201(d)(5) — 2 cases
Choctaw Props., L.L.C. v. Aledo I.S.D., 127 S.W.3d 235 (Tex. App. 2003). “" Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 11.201 (a) (Vernon Supp.”
Chavez v. Brownsville Indep. Sch. Dist., 135 F. App'x 664 (5th Cir. 2005). “” Tex. Educ.Code § 11.201(d)(5). Clearly, Sauceda was managing the District’s operations by dealing with the cafeteria plan.”
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