Winnsboro ISD names Chris Trotter interim superintendent after predecessor’s resignation

Winnsboro Independent School District trustees unanimously appointed Chris Trotter interim superintendent during a special meeting July 6, following the resignation of Jeff Conovan from the interim superintendent position.

The appointment gives the district a new interim leader during a transition in its top administrative post. Winnsboro ISD said Trotter would guide the district through that transition.

A veteran educator returns to Winnsboro

Trotter is a Winnsboro High School graduate and has 33 years of public-education experience. His background includes work as a teacher, coach, campus administrator, district administrator and superintendent.

Before taking the Winnsboro interim position, Trotter served as superintendent of Cleveland Independent School District near Houston. His experience includes both campus-level and district-level leadership, giving him a background across several parts of school administration.

In comments reported by KLTV, Trotter identified teacher recruitment and retention as immediate priorities. He said he wanted to ensure qualified educators were in classrooms and develop an action plan for staffing.

That focus places hiring, keeping teachers and maintaining classroom coverage at the center of his initial agenda. Trotter’s comments describe priorities for the interim administration; they do not indicate that the district’s staffing challenges have been resolved.

Leadership change comes during wider district transition

Conovan’s resignation preceded the appointment. The leadership change also comes as the district deals with criminal investigations involving former district officials and coaches.

KLTV reported that former district officials and coaches had been arrested and charged with failure to report child abuse. Those are reported arrests and charges, not adjudicated findings.

The district continued its regular governance and financial planning after Trotter’s appointment. Winnsboro ISD’s summary of the July 21 Board of Trustees meetings said trustees held a budget workshop before the regular meeting.

The July 21 activity shows that board and budget work continued while the district adjusted to the change in interim leadership. That work gives the new administration an immediate institutional setting for addressing its stated staffing priorities.

Trotter was appointed to an interim role, not named permanent superintendent. The district’s public announcement did not identify how long the appointment would last or provide a timetable for a permanent-superintendent search.