District leaders honor Dr. Sheppard’s 38-year career in public education and more than eight years of transformative leadership in Huntsville ISD.
The Huntsville ISD Board of Trustees announces the retirement of Superintendent Dr. Scott Sheppard, effective after the end of the 2025-26 school year, honoring a remarkable career in public education defined by service, transformative leadership, and steadfast commitment to students. With 38 years as a proud public school educator and more than 8 years as Huntsville ISD Superintendent, Dr. Sheppard leaves a legacy marked by progress, relationship building, and care for the Huntsville community. Since joining the district in early 2018, Sheppard became the third longest serving superintendent in our district’s history. Known for coining the phrase “Building Champions” in reference to our district, this simple vision became the driving force behind significant improvements and increased pride in our school community.
Ken Holland, President of the Huntsville ISD Board of Trustees, stated, “Dr. Sheppard’s leadership helped shape the future of Huntsville ISD, and we are deeply grateful for the passion and care brought to this role every day. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I extend our sincere appreciation to Scott and his wife Donna for their service and leadership to our community and wish them the very best in retirement.” Reflecting on his tenure in Huntsville, Sheppard expressed, “I am forever grateful and proud to be a Huntsville Hornet. Being a small part of such an incredible district transformation has been the honor of a lifetime. Our dedicated employees, students, families, and supportive community deserve all the credit for making Huntsville ISD a better place for all students to learn and grow. I genuinely appreciate our Board of Trustees for giving me this opportunity and for governing the district with purpose. Together as a school community, we accomplished remarkable things, and I am confident the stage is set for the next leader to take us to even greater heights.”
Huntsville ISD achieved numerous milestones since 2018, some highlights including:
- Forward looking, conservative financial stewardship that increased the district’s fund balance from $13 million to over $45 million in 8 years, while also providing annual pay raises for employees and maintaining one of the lowest school tax rates in the region.
- Generated community support to overwhelmingly pass the first successful bonds in over two decades, bringing long overdue facility improvements to every campus, along with several new, state-of-the-art facilities to benefit current and future generations of Hornets.
- Strengthened academic performance, as shown by SAT/ACT scores outpacing the state average, increased College, Career or Military Readiness scores, and recognition in a national study of almost 4000 school districts by Harvard and Stanford Universities for ranking first in reading improvement from 2019-2022.
- Quickly improved the district’s state academic rating from an F to a C and maintained a passing district rating through the challenges of a global pandemic and ever-increasing rigor of the state’s accountability system.
- Created the life changing Huntsville Success Academy (HSA), allowing students to graduate early or catch up to avoid dropping out of high school, with over 300 graduates to date and 80 more scheduled to graduate this year.
Board Vice President, Tracy Stoudt, who was President when Sheppard was hired, conveyed appreciation for his leadership. “As we celebrate the retirement of our superintendent, we honor a legacy defined by vision, integrity, and unwavering commitment to students, staff, and community. Under Dr. Sheppard’s leadership, Huntsville ISD has truly lived its mission of Building Champions – Every One, Every Day. His dedication has strengthened our schools, inspired excellence, and created opportunities that will impact generations to come. On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire district, we extend our deepest gratitude and best wishes for a future filled with continued success and fulfillment.” And according to long time Board member Rissie Owens, “Dr. Sheppard has been a breath of fresh air. His positive leadership style was exactly what we needed to move our district forward and build trust within the community. When we chose him back in 2018, he promised to be here long term and retire from our district, and we are thrilled he kept that promise.”
The Huntsville ISD Board of Trustees will begin the search process soon, with details announced once a search firm is secured. The preliminary timeline has our next superintendent starting in early July 2026, giving the Board ample time to conduct a full and thorough search process to make the right selection for our community. Plans to celebrate Dr. Sheppard’s retirement and honor his contributions to Huntsville ISD and the Huntsville community will be shared later.