MARLIN, Texas — In a 4 to 1 vote Wednesday, the Marlin Independent School District voted to suspend its superintendent.
The suspension of Superintendent Micheal Seabolt comes come after the Texas Education Agency revoked Marlin ISD's accreditation for the 2018-2019 school year in February after the district continuously failed to meet academic standards since 2011.
The board said they would place Seabolt "on administrative leave, to investigate his performance of duties, and alleged misconduct."
The board also voted 4-1 to approve an independent agent to conduct an investigation into district affairs as well as the superintendent's performance and conduct.
The board would never specify what "alleged misconduct," meant however. When board member Eddie Ellis Jr. was asked of Seabolt did "anything wrong," he did not have an answer.
"I can't answer to that because I don't know," Ellis Jr. said.
The school district is also still in limbo on whether it will be open at all next year as the TEA's informal review has not yet been been completed. Ellis told Channel 6 that the school board did not know if firing Seabolt would affect that review or not.
"That decision, that conversation, hasn't come up yet," Ellis said.
Marlin ISD received an academic accountability rating of "academically unacceptable" in 2011 and then received a rating of "improvement required" every year from 2013 to 2017. In 2018, under a new rating system, it got an "F" for academic accountability.
The agency appointed a board of community members in 2017 to give the school district a chance to get back on track. When not enough progress was made and the ratings didn't change, the TEA also appointed conservator Jean Bahney to help direct the board.
- Consider and approve an independent agent to conduct an investigation into district affairs as well as the Superintendent's performance of duties
- Consider and possibly take action to suspend the Superintendent and/or place the
- Superintendent on administrative leave pending further Board action
- Consider and possibly approve and acting superintendent
The Marlin ISD's informal review is still in the hands of Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath, the head of the TEA. The review could result in the school district being shut down.
More to explore on KCENTV.com:
RELATED: Marlin ISD joins class-action suit