ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — Dr. Keeley Boyer was approved to serve as interim superintendent for Ector County ISD amid Dr. Scott Muri's retirement announcement, according to the district.
The announcement was made at Tuesday night's ECISD Board of Trustees special meeting.
“I completed 36 years in education and was just starting year number 37. I'm a spiritual person and and God has always put emotions and feelings in my life," Dr. Muri said. "I become attached to people and places and things and so about six months ago, I started to feel that it's time to move into the next chapter.”
Dr. Muri has overseen a lot during his time as ECISD superintendent, including the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
There was also numerous vacancies within ECISD that Dr. Muri and his staff worked hard to fill in.
"I think one of our greatest accomplishments over the last five years is to address the human capital opportunities that we had," Dr. Muri said. "That is making sure that our teacher vacancies are filled, leader vacancies are filled and to make sure that really look at all the human capital opportunities, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, counselors. We paid attention to that.”
Filling in the high amount of vacancies may be Dr. Muri's proudest achievement during his time with ECISD. It comes at just the right time, as Dr. Muri said during his opening remarks that there are about 1,000 more students enrolled now than on the last day of school last year.
The addition of hundreds of teachers allows ECISD to further the education of Ector County's future.
“Fast forward to today, and you know, very few of classrooms at ECISD today are vacant," Dr. Muri said. "We've gone from, you know, 350 teacher vacancies five years ago, to down to fewer than 40 vacancies today, and that's significant for us.”
According to an ECISD press release, through a voluntary retirement agreement, Dr. Muri will serve as the "Superintendent Emeritus," an advisory role, through January 31, 2025. The trustees approved the agreement with a 6-0-1 vote.
The Board of Trustees also voted 7-0 to name Dr. Boyer as interim superintendent. Dr. Boyer has been the ECISD Chief of Schools since September 2021.
After his role as Superintendent Emeritus is over, Dr. Muri plans to teach and mentor the next generation of superintendents.
Dr. Muri called his time at ECISD the best years of his life and wanted to thank everyone that he had worked with.
“One of my trustees said, 'oh, you saved the best for last,' and that's actually correct. This was truly the best experience of my career," Dr. Muri said. "Incredible people, the students that we serve, the families that we serve, the staff as a part of this, the seven members of this board of trustees. Just all encompassing, an incredible opportunity.”