Superintendent Search
Sept 30, 2025
At its Sept. 30 meeting, the Eanes ISD Board of Trustees reviewed the Superintendent Search Summary Report and finalized the Superintendent Leadership Profile. The Superintendent job listing will remain open through Oct. 24, and candidate interviews will take place the first two weeks of November. The Board expects to name a lone finalist by the Nov. 18 Board meeting.
Timeline
June 16 - Dr. Jeff Arnett announced his intention to retire as Eanes ISD Superintendent, effective July 31, 2025
June 17 - Eanes ISD Special Board Meeting
June 18 - Board of Trustees announced a multi-step plan to hire an interim superintendent by July 31 while also starting a search for a permanent superintendent
June 24 - Working with the law firm of Spalding Nichols Lamp Langlois, Board of Trustees issued an RFQ to executive search firms to assist with the search for a permanent superintendent
June 26 – Eanes ISD Regular Board Meeting
July 8 – Eanes ISD Special Board Meeting
July 10 – Eanes ISD Special Board Meeting
July 22 - Eanes ISD Special Board Meeting
July 24 – Board of Trustees votes to approve contract of Dr. Tom Trigg as interim superintendent of schools
Aug. 5 - Board approves JG Consulting to conduct superintendent search
Aug. 21 - Aug. 28 - Board Interviews
Sept. 10 - Sept. 26 - Community Engagement including a Town Hall Meeting and community-wide survey
Oct. 1 - Oct. 24 - Application Period
Oct. 28 - Candidate Reviews
Nov. 3 & 5 - Candidate Interviews: Round 1
Nov. 10 & 11 - Candidate Interviews: Final Round
Nov. 18 - Board Names Lone Finalist
Update from the Eanes ISD Board of Trustees
Sept. 4, 2025
The Eanes ISD Board of Trustees will meet with JG Consulting in closed session during a Special Meeting Sept. 9, 2025 at 5pm. The Board will discuss timelines, strategies and other items related to the superintendent search. Once information and public engagement opportunities are finalized, the plan will be communicated.
Aug. 5, 2025
On Aug. 5, the Eanes ISD Board of Trustees held a Special Meeting to interview superintendent search firms. Trustees approved hiring JG Consulting to conduct the search for a new superintendent. Founded in 2014, JG Consulting partners with school systems and city governments to lead executive-level searches and provide other diverse services to support organizational growth.
July 24, 2025
On July 24, the Eanes ISD Board of Trustees held a Special Meeting and voted to approve a contract with Dr. Tom Trigg to serve as interim Superintendent of Schools.
As announced earlier this month, our goal is to have an interim leader in place by July 31, to coincide with Dr. Jeff Arnett’s last day with Eanes ISD. The interim leader will provide stability for our teachers, staff and students, and will serve until a permanent superintendent is hired.
Dr. Trigg’s education career spans 49 years, most recently serving as superintendent of Highland Park ISD in Texas and prior to that as superintendent of Blue Valley USD 229 in Kansas. Dr. Trigg has also served as a high school mathematics teacher and coach, high school principal and assistant/deputy superintendent.
“Eanes ISD is so well respected nationally and as a top Texas school district. I am honored to serve as interim superintendent while the Board continues its search for a permanent successor to Dr. Arnett,” said Dr. Trigg. “My wife Julie and I look forward to starting the school year with Eanes ISD staff, students and community.”
Widely recognized as a leader in education, Dr. Trigg received the Mike Kneale Educational Excellence in Leadership Award and was one of Education Week’s Leaders to Learn From in 2015, was one of the four finalists for National Superintendent of the Year in 2011 and was the Kansas Superintendent of the Year in 2011.
He earned his EdD from the University of Kansas, his M.S. in Educational Administration from Emporia State University and his B.A. in Mathematics and Physical Education from Ottawa University.
“On behalf of the Eanes ISD community, we welcome Dr. Trigg to Austin,” said Board President Kim McMath. “Under his leadership, we are ready to launch the new school year and continue the tradition of excellence that represents Eanes.”
The Board issued an RFQ for an executive search firm to lead the process to hire a permanent superintendent. The board will vote on hiring a firm in August, and the search process will include input from families, staff, advocates and the community.
Our next regular Board meeting is Tuesday, August 5. The agenda for that meeting will be posted here, with an opportunity for speakers to sign up for Open Forum.
We will use this page to update the community throughout this process.
Thank you,
Eanes ISD Board of Trustees President Kim McMath
July 23, 2025
The Board wil hold a special meeting Thursday, July 24 at 7pm. The Board could vote on an interim superintendent contract. Watch live: eanesisd.net/board/live.
June 16, 2025
Dr. Jeff Arnett notified the Board of Trustees of his retirement as our Superintendent of Schools, effective July 31, 2025. Over the past nine years, Dr. Arnett was heavily involved with the many efforts that have made Eanes ISD one of the best performing school districts in the nation. On behalf of the Board and the entire Eanes ISD community, we thank Dr. Arnett for his leadership. We wish him the very best as he returns to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
A Superintendent of Schools search is one of the most important actions that we can take as a Board, and this Board is ready for the task. The Board met on June 17 in closed session to determine next steps.
Our First Step: Hiring an Interim Superintendent
The Board will work with the law firm of Spalding Nichols Lamp Langlois (SNLL) to identify internal and external candidates for the Board to select an interim leader. SNLL is comprised of veteran school lawyers and represents districts across the state of Texas, including Eanes ISD. SNLL has assisted multiple districts in superintendent searches.
Our goal is to have an interim leader in place by July 31, 2025, to coincide with Dr. Arnett’s last day with Eanes ISD. The interim leader will come from outside of Eanes ISD, will provide stability for our teachers, staff and students, and will serve until a permanent superintendent is hired.
Our Next Step: Hiring a Permanent Superintendent
While the interim superintendent search is underway, the Board will issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in the coming weeks for an executive search firm to lead the process to hire a permanent superintendent. This process will include community input and is anticipated to formally launch later this summer, allowing for optimal input from families, staff, advocates and the community.
Community Input
It is vitally important for the Eanes ISD community to work collaboratively through this process to ensure our families, staff, advocates and the community have the best opportunity to grow and succeed in the future.
We will use this Superintendent Search page on our website, as well as emails, to update the community throughout this process.
Thank you,
Kim McMath
Eanes ISD Board President