BROOKSHIRE, Texas (Covering Katy News) — Royal ISD Superintendent Rick Kershner is retiring after five years of leading the Waller County school district.
Kershner, who joined Royal ISD in 2020, said his contract runs until 2028, but having decided to retire, he and district leaders began working on his voluntary retirement agreement, which was approved earlier this month.
"My last official day will be December 31, 2025, but I'll transition somewhere around August 1 to what they call superintendent emeritus," Kershner said.
A district spokesperson said the district will select a search firm and gather input from students, staff and community members to develop a comprehensive superintendent profile before reviewing applications and interviewing candidates for the top education leadership position.
Looking forward, Kershner said he wanted to ensure a smooth transition to his successor. A big part of this transition, he said, was helping with the bond planning process that will shape Royal ISD's future facilities.
"We have the 2023 bond, we're still working on those projects," Kershner said. "I would like to help alleviate some of the stress and the responsibility for the new superintendent."
Royal ISD voters in 2023 approved a $138 million bond covering safety and security measures, new construction, renovations and remodeling, upgrading existing facilities and improving the district's technology infrastructure. A new elementary school is now being built in Brookshire and will open for the 2025-26 school year to accommodate growing student enrollment.
"It's going along just fine, and we'll open the school in August, so we should have substantial completion of the building sometime, maybe the second week of July," Kershner said. "And then we'll have school furniture delivered right about the second, third week of July."
At the same time, voters rejected a $6.4 million bond for Falcon Stadium improvements, including a new turf field, new track, replacing the visitor bleachers, renovating the home bleachers, and improving site safety and security.
Getting the major portion of the educational bond passed is one of Kershner's proudest accomplishments as superintendent.
District voters rejected a November 2021 measure and Kershner said he was proud the district engaged the community at a higher level than when he arrived, building stronger school-community relationships.
As part of educating the 2023 bond oversight committee, and the public, about the importance of passing the bond at a time of enrollment growth, Kershner and district officials invited committee members and the public on a school bus tour of the district to see where new subdivisions were being planned and built. At that time, he said, three subdivisions were moving dirt. Today, he said, there are 10 such developments in the growing Waller County school district.
Managing the rapid student growth will be the biggest challenge for the new superintendent. Kershner said, noting the district's student enrollment is 2,943 and has had a 6.55% growth rate this year, significantly outpacing many neighboring Houston-area districts.
"You have all those subdivisions that have started for this calendar year that will be the homes filling up for next fall," Kershner said. "So, they need to get going and make sure they're on top of the development." Kershner said other accomplishments included hosting a Texas Association of School Administrators' superintendent leadership network event in February and seeing the district named the National Showcase School District for two consecutive years with the Capturing Kids Hearts organization, highlighting Royal ISD's commitment to educational excellence.
"If you stay focused and work collaboratively with your community and with the employees of the school district that you can accomplish huge things, and you can provide a variety of opportunities for the students," Kershner said. "You can't accomplish anything by yourself."
Kershner came to Royal from Splendora, where he had been assistant superintendent of leadership and culture. Before that, he was assistant superintendent of academic and human resource services there, bringing decades of educational leadership experience to Royal ISD.
Kershner said he and his wife, Yvonne, own some acreage north of Sealy and will enjoy time with their three adult children and five grandchildren after his retirement from public education.
"It's been an amazing five years of time at Royal ISD and I'm so thankful for the community and the school board for the positive support, the things that we implemented and the good things that have happened for the students at Royal ISD," Kershner said.