WFISD Superintendent Michael Kuhrt resigns

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - The Wichita Falls ISD board accepted Superintendent Michael Kuhrt’s resignation on Monday during a special session.

The board voted 7-0 to approve the resignation. Debbie Dipprey will become interim superintendent in his place. WFISD board members will release a short statement soon.

Board members came together on Monday for the second special session in four days. Both have focused on two main topics: Superintendent Michael Kuhrt’s contract and a $6.2 million shortage.

During the meeting, they announced that they decided to hire a financial consultant. His name is Gary Patterson and he is being hired to find solutions for the district’s $6.2 million deficit.

He has served as former superintendent in several districts in the San Antonio and DFW area, and he told board members when districts look into hiring a financial consultant, it really is the last resort.

“With 800 students and you’re at the same staff, everybody can understand that it might need some adjustments,” Patterson said. “I know it’s a painful thing we do in education is having to let educators go. It’s commonplace for districts in Texas now, especially coming out of COVID, to be considering some sort of budget management and so we all know that your money is tied up in personnel.”

Patterson said one the biggest issues he’s seen so far is that the district lost 800 students in the past two years but they are still running things as if those students are still there with the same amount of staff and with the same budget.