Plano Independent School District Superintendent Sara Bonser is the ninth North Texas superintendent to recently announce either their retirement or resignation, following ISD leaders in Dallas, Fort Worth, Richardson, Northwest, Lewisville, DeSoto, Hurst-Euless-Bedford (HEB), and Mesquite.
On January 25, the superintendent informed the Plano ISD Board of Trustees that she would be retiring at the end of the school year.
Bonser, a 33-year educator and administrator, has served as the superintendent of Plano ISD since 2017 when she entered as interim deputy superintendent and was appointed superintendent in 2018. Prior to her capacity as Plano ISD superintendent, Bosner was employed in Rockwall ISD for seven years, even founding the district’s division of student and family services.
Bonser conveyed to the Board that her decision to retire was motivated by her desire to be more available to her family during a currently sensitive time: “Balancing work and family has always been important to me, but never more so than now that my sister is dealing with a critical illness. Retiring will allow me the opportunity to help and support my family.”
Plano ISD School Board President David Stolle responded to the superintendent’s retirement in a press release, stating, “The board will accept Superintendent Bonser’s resignation with great reluctance, but we certainly understand Sara’s need to support her family at this time. Plano ISD has greatly benefited from Sara’s results-driven leadership and passion for student success. She will be missed tremendously by this board, the staff, and the community.”
An internal search for a replacement has commenced. “We are happy with the direction the district is going. Sara has built a strong leadership team and has set the district up for success with a well-developed Strategic Plan and Plan of Work,” said Stolle. “We will start our search by looking at internal candidates who can help maintain the momentum and forward trajectory inspired by Sara’s leadership,” he continued.
A finalist who will be ready to step in at the end of the 2021-2022 school year is expected within the coming months.
