JUDY SNYDER LEAVES OFFICE:

Katy ISD trustees split in voting for several officer posts

HELEN ERIKSEN, CHRONICLE CORRESPONDENT | May 24, 2011 | Updated: May 24, 2011 5:30am

Photo By Tony Bullard:/For the Chronicle VETERAN BOARD MEMBER: Outgoing Katy ISD trustee Judith Snyder is given a hug and a kiss by her father Laurie P. Jones at the May 23 meeting. 5 of 6

Outgoing Katy Independent School District trustees said three new board members will need to work closely with the administration and become a "team of eight" to effectively manage the district.

District election officer Bill Haskett certified the results of the May 14 election at a May 23 special meeting that followed the regular school board meeting. Taking the oaths of office were Bill Proctor, Terry Huckaby and Henry Dibrell, who will serve respectively in positions 3, 4, and 5 on the board.

As the outgoing trustees — Eric Duhon, Christina Crockett and Judy Snyder - stepped down, there were some words for the new members.

"Today's challenges will test the newly constituted board severely, and all of them will need the support and understanding of the community and will need to work closely with the administration to minimize the effects of the present and clear danger of reduced educational funding," Duhon said.

Snyder said, "It is indeed the 'team of eight' that makes it possible for a school district to operate and excel academically and financially to achieve the level of excellence that we have and that our parents continue to expect."

Crockett said, "To the new board members congratulations and good luck."

　

Chris Crockett, Eric Duhon, Judy Snyder

It's not clear what impact the newly election members will have on decisions made by the board. The first order of business for the new board, electing new officers, may have provided hints of future voting trends with Proctor and Huckaby forming an early alliance nearly voting identical on each post. Dibrell broke from the two voting with the old board members.

New board officers

Trustees elected new officers for 2011-12. Snyder will be replaced as board president by Joe Adams, who was nominated by Neil Howard. Adams was elected in a 5-2 vote with Huckaby and Proctor voting against him.

Rebecca Fox was elected vice president for a second term in a 5-2 vote with Huckaby and Proctor voting no. Robert Shaw nominated Fox.

Huckaby nominated Proctor to serve as president and vice president. Since Adams and Fox won, there was no need to vote on Proctor.

Shaw is the new secretary for the board in a 6-1 vote with Proctor voting against his selection. Howard was unchallenged in his nomination for treasurer in a 5-0 vote but Proctor and Huckaby both abstained from the vote. Shaw nominated Howard. Dibrell was the only trustee to receive a unanimous 7-0 vote for the office of sergeant-at-arms.

Fox addressed each of the outgoing trustees, saying she learned a lot from Snyder, who she considered a mentor and that she admired Crockett for her dedication and energy to learn everything as well as her devotion to fine arts and mentoring.

She reflected that the students who will graduate next week were kindergartners when Duhon, who was a school trustee for 12 years, arrived on the board.

"This is indeed a difficult time for us to say goodbye to you, but we are so very thankful for your combined 30 years of service to our school district, to our community and most of all and to our students and teachers," Fox said.

helen.eriksen@chron.com