Chief Operating Officer Mike Seale has suddenly exited Fort Bend Independent School District, but school officials are providing no information about what led to his departure.
“Mike Seale is no longer an employee with Fort Bend ISD,” Chief Communications Officer Mary Ann Simpson said Thursday evening. “He has left the district to pursue other opportunities, and his last day with the district was Wednesday, Feb. 25.”
Seale could not be reached for comment, and district administrators provided no further official information about his leaving.
While no Fort Bend ISD board member spoke for the record, sources familiar with Seales’ departure said Superintendent Dr. Timothy Jenney made board members aware the district’s COO was leaving. Jenney also could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.
Seale played a key role in the district administration, having served as its chief financial officer before expanding his duties to become top business official for Fort Bend County’s largest employer.
His departure comes as the district has been wrestling with its first-ever deficit budget. At the same time, the district administration just proposed building a major project, described as a “global science center,” adjacent to the Fort Bend ISD administrative offices, as part of a plan to boost student science scores.
One source close to Seale described his exit as “a parting of the ways” with the school district.
“I don’t have a feeling it will slow anyting down,” another source familiar with Seale’s departure said Thursday. “I think it will be fine. We’re going to rock right along.”
By Thursday, the district had already removed Seale’s name from the list of administrators and staff on its web site. The district also revised its organizational chart, removing Seale’s name and title, and re-arranging some district officials’ responsibilities and direct reports.
Prior to Wednesday, Seale had been listed as chief operating officer in charge of the district’s executive director of financial services – a vacant job with oversight of the budget manager, controller, benefits director and purchasing director.
Seale also had been direct supervisor of Lee Petros, executive director of support services, which includes oversight of the district’s facilities director, transportation director, construction and design manager and child nutrition director.
Finally, Seale had been in charge of the district’s Information & Technology Services.
Each of those areas have experienced difficulties over the past few months.
Most notable have been chronic problems with one of the district’s main software systems. Fort Bend IT personnel have been overseeing installation and assimilation of an expensive and troublesome PeopleSoft system blamed in part on payroll problems that spilled into the accounting arena and resulted in employees being paid incorrect amounts on more than one occasion.
According to the organizational chart now on the Fort Bend ISD web site, the district has no chief operating officer. The chart also lists the office of chief financial officer as vacant. That office would supervise the district’s budget manager, controller, director of purchasing and director of benefits.
Petros and other district officials previously reporting to Seale now report either to Chief Auxiliary Services Officer Tom Carter or Chief Information Officer Robert Calvert.
I am sure you all have read about the teacher at Crockett who had to tape a student.
Why do you think our district has allowed this to happen?
Because laws are not followed by these administrators.
It is a game. I don’t blame the teacher. He or she was probably not given enough help by the admininstrators because our administrators are given so much authority that there are actually no checks and balances.
Fort Bend was not like this 10 years ago. Teachers are too afraid to say anything because of the new Jenny super who has intimidated everyone.
I was at a recent board meeting where not one board member questioned Jenny. Why?
Why? Why has our community allowed this man to be given so much authority?
One cannot even visit the man. Is that a superintendent concerned with our children?
I even had a collegue who had sent an e-mail to a super and he/she told him/her that he/she did not need to here problems on the campus. Can you believe this?
C’mon guys. Where is our spine?
What in the Heck is going on with our voters?
Guys, remember the money and the salary we had issues about when the teacher salary and paraprofessional increase was not approved? Now, Mr. Seale has left.
Why? Why? Because of corruption in our district.
I am at a school where our principal has violated perhaps 5 – 7 state laws. How do I know? I have a law degree.
This district is in a big, big mess. We need to unite and report corruption to our legal senators and representatives.
Either that, or report our district to the TEA.. Something has to happen.
Twilight, if you knew more about single member districting then you would know that it increases equity in education for all students no matter what side of the district that you live on. Each area would have a representative that would look out of the best interest of those living within it’s area of representation.
So far the board has made it a priority to favor certain areas of town which in part leaves a huge gap in it’s education system. Then they wonder why things are crumbling all around them. This is only the beginning if they continue with business as usual.
There are no checks and balances in place of abuse of funding and/or shady purchasing. Directors are not held accountable for their poor management skills. All they have to do is deny,deny,deny and all is forgiven. It sounds like if a director says so, it must be the truth.
Amen Willie.
By the way, I just got in from one of the fine restaurants in Sugar Land. I had a wonderful meal and ate cake too. By the way the restaurant was crowded, as usual, as all the restaurants are in Sugar Land. Willie, please don’t interrupt our fun with your complaining. We’ve got our fine houses, fine schools, who cares what the people who administer over our children do. We ain’t trying to hear it. Don’t inject unpleasantries, Willie. It’s impolite.
Megabite, it does not matter who FBISd thinks they are in order to withhld information from the community. The point that really matters is that they do withhold information from us and they know we won’t do anything about it. FBISD admits their administrators break rules, policy, and law, but who really cares right? We, as members of this community accept this behavior. I don’t blame Jenney and his posse for what they do. I blame us for letting them do it.
FBISD official hot seats have been avoid up todate by employees and FBISD incumbents prohibitting re-election.
Uhmmm, hide and watch—That famous movie line, “You couldn’t stand to know the truth.” Indeed, in our little wonderful world we live in, Sugar Land and surrounding vicinity, that famous movie line is applicable. The entrenched truth is well concealed within; if the hidden truth is ever exposed, in my humble opinion, a possible strategy of defense for anyone caught in the crossfire would be to take the 5th.
Hide and watch—if we sit by the riverbank long enough, the faces of our enemies will come floating by.
Single member district will prohibit anyone being left behing and easier for voters to fine an a leader nearby on its district, like cities officials..
Would someone please tell me what single member districts has to do with Mike Seale leaving?
Secondly, HOW would the single member districts offer better communication with the superintendent?
Hopefully this will mean justice for Transportation by replacing the current director.
I agree with single member district FBISD BOT to prohibit monoply board members.
What makes them think they can withhold information from us??
Who do they think they are anyway?
Fort Bend ISD has been falling off for quite some time now.
Singe member districting is surely what is needed.