BISD Superintendent Tim Seymore announces his retirement, effective Aug. 31
Tim Seymore, the superintendent of Breckenridge Independent School District, publicly announced his upcoming retirement from the school district via a post on one of his personal Facebook pages on Thursday. He informed the BISD staff on Wednesday that his last day will be Aug. 31.
Seymore came to Breckenridge in January 2015 from Navasota ISD. He has 31 years of experience as a math teacher, principal and superintendent, according to his Facebook post.
Looking back over the past four and a half years, Seymore said it would be overwhelming to try and pick out one event that was the highlight of his time here.
“There’s been a lot of amazing things (here),” he said. “We’ve accomplished a lot. I think we’ve made huge strides in bringing the facilities up to par, making things functional. I think we’ve got an administrative staff who’s phenomenal and who cares greatly about improving the lives of kids. I think that for every one of them, that’s their first priority, and I’m thrilled about that.”
One of the most rewarding things that happened during Seymore’s tenure was being recognized by the community as Citizen of the Year, he said. The Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce honored him with that title at the annual awards banquet in February 2018. He was presented with the award by the previous honorees, Elaine and Virgil Moore.
“At times, a person moves into our town and immediately makes a positive impact that warrants recognition, such is the case with this year’s Citizen of the Year,” said Virgil Moore, leading up to the announcement in 2018.
“Our winner knows that it takes a village to raise a child, so he has continually fostered connections between businesses and community members with our local school children,” Elaine Moore said. “Whether he’s in his Breckenridge ISD superintendent’s office overseeing our district finances or on a campus shaking hands with one of the students or spending time with his civic organizations, this person is working for the improvement of our community.”
In both his Facebook post and in a phone interview Thursday afternoon, June 20, Seymore said he and his wife, Mandy Seymore, have not made definite plans for their future.
“We haven’t made a firm plan about what we’re going to do,” Seymore said. “I don’t have any sort of plans. I’m really just leaving it open and going on a path to seek and see what I find.”
Mandy Seymore also works for BISD as the District Services Secretary. She, too, will be leaving her position with the school district.
Seymore said the BISD Board of Trustees will likely call a special meeting, discuss an interim superintendent and create a plan for hiring a new superintendent.
He said he would advise anyone seeking to be a school superintendent that they should “understand that school organizations are big ships that have to be steered very slowly and that you can’t turn one hard in any direction. You have to manage them in a way to get them in the direction you want them to go, but that’s not an easy process and it’s one that takes time. Hire good people to work with you in that endeavor, so that you’re not having them try to steer the ship in another direction at the same time.”
Story by Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
Cutline, top photo: BISD Superintendent Tim Seymore addresses the Board of Trustees at a meeting earlier this year. On Thursday, June 20, he publicly announced his retirement, effective Aug. 31. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
