Southlake Carroll ISD announces lone finalist for superintendent

Carroll ISD announced Lane Ledbetter as its lone finalist for superintendent in a special meeting of the school board Friday morning.

Ledbetter, a former Carroll ISD student, is set to replace David Faltys, who has been superintendent for nearly 15 years.

Ledbetter has strong ties to the district. His father, Bob, was a legendary Southlake Carroll football coach who was inducted into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame after building the athletic program into a statewide powerhouse. Ledbetter’s mother, Sue, taught in the district for many years.

The new superintendent will lead a divided district still contending with ongoing strife related to diversity and inclusion. A District Diversity Council of more than 60 parents, students and staff — including former Dallas Cowboy Russell Maryland — worked for more than a year on a Cultural Competence Action Plan, submitting it in August.

During a public comment forum before the board announced Ledbetter as the finalist, one speaker warned the new superintendent not to cave to a “left-wing agenda” and CCAP’s recommendations.

Protests over the plan divided the community this year, with parents objecting to proposals such as diversity and inclusion curriculums, teacher and staff training, establishment of a LGBTQ-plus student focus group and tracking of “microaggressions” by students.

At a board meeting in September, one parent said the CCAP’s intent was to “propose a leftist worldview.” A website – southlakefamilies.org – encouraged parents to “stand against these divisive proposals.” Empower Texans, a statewide conservative political group backed by a handful of billionaires, was linked to a related Facebook and text messaging campaign.

As a result, Carroll ISD has rescinded its acceptance of proposals two years in the making, leaving reforms in limbo and a controversy awaiting Ledbetter should he assume leadership of the district in January.

The board’s unanimous vote for Ledbetter paves the way for the veteran school leader to return to the place where he began as a Dragon in the third grade and graduated with the Carroll High class of 1989. A 21-day waiting period is required by Texas law; trustees will have a special board meeting Dec. 11 to complete the process. The board hopes to have the new superintendent begin in January.

Ledbetter has 27 years of experience in education. He has been the superintendent at Midlothian ISD since 2015. Previously, he was superintendent in Graham ISD from 2012-2015. He also taught and coached in Lake Travis, Grapevine-Colleyville and Carroll ISDs before serving 13 years on the leadership team at Birdville ISD.

While in Birdville, Ledbetter served as a secondary principal, administrator of virtual education and assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

Faltys announced his retirement in August. He assumed a special adviser to the district role on Oct. 15 and has his official last day Dec. 31. Day-to-day business has been handled by interim superintendent Jeremy Lyon.

“It’s been a hard year, and it didn’t seem right to step away before the new year started,” Faltys said in August. “We have amazing teachers, administrators and support staff. They have been working diligently to create a safe and caring environment for our students whether they are learning in-person or virtually.”

The Carroll ISD school board hired a search firm to assist in finding his replacement.

During his tenure, Faltys led Carroll ISD through three bond programs, revamped the district’s financial reserves, helped to approve the district’s first Mandarin Chinese program and advanced technology district-wide.