Ector County ISD superintendent Dr. Scott Muri to retire

The Ector County ISD (ECISD) is bidding farewell to Superintendent Dr. Scott Muri, who is retiring after serving in the role for five years, and amid 36 years in public education. The district’s Board of Trustees voted 6-0-1 to approve a voluntary retirement agreement with Dr. Muri at its meeting Tuesday, Aug. 13.

As part of the agreement, Dr. Muri will serve in an advisory role as superintendent emeritus, through Jan. 31, 2025. He will support the district’s transition to an interim superintendent and, possibly, its new full-time superintendent. Dr. Muri’s other responsibilities will keep district initiatives and projects progressing, while undergoing a seamless transfer to the new superintendent, according to the meeting minutes.

Dr. Muri said during the meeting that he’s not taking another superintendent job, but rather retiring. His immediate future plans including coaching and mentoring superintendents across the country. His time with the district included improving state accountability ratings, leading it in the wake of an August 2019 mass shooting, seeing it through the COVID pandemic and a major teacher shortage, and helping spearhead a $424 million bond, according to the Odessa American.

During the meeting, Trustee Delma Abalos thanked Dr. Muri for his service and for fulfilling his promise to stay at ECISD for at least five years. He received a standing ovation from the audience in the board room.

The Board of Trustees voted 7-0 at Tuesday’s meeting to name Dr. Keeley Boyer as interim superintendent. Since September 2021, Dr. Boyer has served as ECISD’s Chief of Schools and oversees a team of three principal supervisors responsible for ECISD’s principals. She came to the ECISD after serving as a regional superintendent for three years at Portland Public Schools.

Dr. Boyer holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy from the University of Texas, according to the meeting minutes, and also completed the Cooperative Superintendency Program from the University of Texas, the Forum for Education Leadership, the University of Virginia’s Partnership for Leadership in Education and has been attending Holdsworth Center’s Leadership Collaborative for two years.

Dr. Muri posted a message on the ECISD’s Facebook page that he has taken time to carefully reflect upon his journey, and has decided it is time to close this chapter and begin anew. “The past five years have truly been the most amazing of my career…I couldn’t be more proud of Team ECISD. Thank you for embracing me as a member of this community and as your superintendent. I am forever grateful.”