MART, Texas — Mart ISD Superintendent Betsy Burnett has released a statement after being placed on administrative leave by the district's Board of Trustees in November.
Last month, Mart ISD announced that the Board of Trustees had voted to place Burnett on administrative leave "pending the proposed termination of her contract" at a meeting on Nov. 25.
While the district said it was "not at liberty to discuss personnel matters" and did not explain why Burnett was placed on administrative leave, they said the reasons for the decision had been communicated to Burnett, and she would be provided notice of the charges in writing.
"The Mart ISD Board is entrusted with acting in the best interest of the District and the Board acted in the best interest of the District based on the information it has considered and discussed with the Superintendent for almost a year," said the Mart ISD Board Officers in a statement. "As a Board we will continue to strive to keep the best interest of our students, faculty, staff and community of Mart ISD at the forefront of all we do. Thank you for your support."
Mart ISD's full statement can be read at this link.
Burnett herself has since released a statement as well:
"I have received the notice of alleged charges from the Mart ISD school board and have engaged legal counsel to address the matter," Burnett said in the statement. "My hope is that, in the coming months, the community will receive the answers it deserves. I am deeply grateful for the overwhelming support I’ve received from parents, staff and the community. After 17 years with Mart ISD, it felt strange to drive away this morning after dropping off my children. I’m unsure who the board intends to place in my role, but a special meeting has been called Thursday evening where that is an agenda item. My sincerest wish is for the staff and students to remain focused on the important work ahead, no matter who temporarily leads the district."
At the time of writing, Burnett is still listed as Superintendent on the Mart ISD website.
