Larry Lewis era over in Lancaster – but life there goes on

In exchange for the Lancaster (Texas) school board dropping its notice of termination against him, suspended Superintendent Larry Lewis has agreed to resign, effective July 31.

Lewis, who got national attention for things such as trying to implement a four-day school week less than two weeks before school started, and supporting a football player wearing an ankle monitor from a criminal case to play at Lancaster, will certainly leave a legacy.

When editor of the Lancaster weekly community newspaper, I reported on other problems he had, such as bad construction of a new high school in Lancaster.

That said, the International Baccalaureate Program that he got started up in Lancaster is reportedly some sort of success, and Lewis did try to change around a culture there.

Now, if only somebody would run against School Board President Carolyn Morris and defeat her, the other half of needed LISD cleansing would happen.

If not “nice” for it to be seen, it would behoove Lewis to have learned lessons in humility and team-building, among other things, from this experience. However, I wouldn’t hold my breath over it.

As for anybody running against Morris, that school district seat and its parallel Lancaster City Council district have NEVER had a contested race since the city and school district went to single-member districts more than a decade ago.