Whitbeck 'honored' to be named Fort Bend ISD superintendent

Fort Bend Independent School District’s (ISD) new superintendent is starting school a bit tardy.

While Christine Whitbeck’s first day on the job is Oct. 6, this isn’t her first day within the school district as she previously served as the district‘s deputy superintendent. The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees voted 6-0 on Thursday, Sept. 16 to hire Whitbeck as the superintendent, replacing Charles Dupre, who resigned in June, according to the Fort Bend Star.

“By nature, I am a person who always seeks solutions, transparency, trust and teamwork. I am excited about what all of us working together can accomplish in FBISD for our students, parents and staff,” Whitbeck said.

Fort Bend ISD first hired her as the as the deputy superintended in 2013. She then accepted a job as Bryan ISD’s superintendent in 2017 before rejoining Fort Bend ISD, according to new site Click2Houston.com. In that role, she oversaw the passage of two bond elections through her “2 Bonds 1 Vision” plan.

“Returning to the district in the role of superintendent is a huge honor, and I thank the board for selecting me and entrusting me to serve the Fort Bend ISD community,” she said.

The Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees tapped executive search firm Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates to find a new superintendent. Whitbeck’s annual salary is $370,000, the Star reported.

“I’m very pleased by the diligent and thorough work our board conducted with the search firm to find a highly qualified education innovator like Dr. Whitbeck,” Fort Bend ISD Board President Dave Rosenthal said according to Click2Houston.com. “We could not have identified the right candidate without invaluable input from more than 2,000 community members and partners. The process was successful, and the board looks forward to working with Dr. Whitbeck as we move our district to the next level.”

The search firm was tasked with replacing Dupre, who announce his resignation in November 2020, about two weeks after the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees agreed to extend his contract through 2024, according to the Star.

The deputy superintendent under Dupre, Diana Sayavedra, was serving as the acting superintendent.