The Lubbock ISD Board of Trustees named Dr. Kathy Rollo on Monday morning as the sole finalist for superintendent.
The vote was 6 to 1 in favor. Lala Chavez was the lone vote against. Rollo cannot be officially named as superintendent during a 21-day waiting period which began Monday. After the waiting period, she can then be officially named as the next superintendent (rather than the lone finalist).
She will replace outgoing superintendent Berhl Robertson, Jr.
In October, Robertson announced his intention to retire as superintendent of Lubbock ISD at the conclusion of the school year.
Rollo was an internal candidate, currently serving the LISD as Associate Superintendent for Elementary Schools.
The following is a written statement from Lubbock ISD:
Rollo named lone finalist for superintendent position
The Lubbock Independent School District Board of Trustees named Dr. Kathy Kinnison Rollo as their lone finalist for the position of superintendent at their board meeting this morning.
In the fall, Dr. Berhl Robertson, Jr., announced his intention to retire, after serving as superintendent since 2013 and as chief administrative officer for four years. Laura Vinson, president of the board, said trustees began with a board-led search to examine the quality individuals in the region already familiar with Lubbock and the needs of the district, before hiring an outside consultant and embarking on a nationwide search. Vinson said the board search yielded a field of well-qualified and diverse candidates, but one stood out above the rest, Dr. Kathy Rollo.
A product of Lubbock ISD herself, Dr. Rollo has been associated with the district as an educator, principal and administrator for 28 years. She began as a student teacher at Hunt Elementary, and then taught at Martin and Waters Elementary Schools. After two years as an assistant principal at Rush and Haynes Elementary Schools, Dr. Rollo became the principal at Murfee Elementary, which she guided for ten years.
Laura Vinson, president of the Board of Trustees said, “We hoped we could find someone with strong West Texas roots, someone who knows our district and has vast experience as a classroom teacher and a principal. In Dr. Rollo, we found an academic leader with proven successes leading students, teachers and principals, with a vision to move Lubbock ISD to the next level.”
In 2009, the first Leadership and Professional Development Department was formed in Lubbock ISD, and Dr. Rollo was named the executive director. She forged new partnerships and provided tools and training for educators and administrators to increase the depth of teaching and learning in the classroom, including a more sophisticated use of data to guide instruction. She was promoted to associate superintendent for elementary schools in 2013 and remained in that position until the summer of 2017, when she left the district and taught in the College of Education at Texas Tech University. An avid supporter of public education, Dr. Rollo has in-depth experience in every aspect.
Her devotion to the Lubbock community is evident, as she has served on the boards of Communities in Schools and the Volunteer Center of Lubbock, as well as numerous leadership roles in the Junior League of Lubbock, including president. She was honored by the YWCA in 2007 as a winner of the “Women of Excellence” award. Often described as a leader and collaborator, she has also been honored by her peers, winning many awards in the teaching profession. Rollo is an enthusiastic supporter of Texas Tech University, where she earned bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees, in addition to superintendent certification. Dr. Rollo said, “A community is only as strong as its public schools and the responsibilities of a superintendent are formidable; however, I view these challenges as opportunities to prove that Lubbock ISD will be the foundation and a source of pride for our community.”
Dr. Rollo is married to Robert Rollo and they are the parents of three sons: Layne, Reid and Kreg, also Lubbock ISD graduates. She and Robert are members of Lakeridge United Methodist Church.
Watch a replay of the official announcement HERE or in the video link below.
