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Former DeSoto ISD superintendent issues statement after abrupt resignation

"Last night, I chose to move on so that DeSoto ISD can move forward," he wrote.

Former DeSoto Independent School District Superintendent D'Andre Weaver issued a statement Monday after he abruptly resigned from the position Sunday. 

In the statement, he lists his accomplishments during his tenure. He said he rebuilt the district from the previous problems he inherited and developed connections in the community. 

The district's school board accepted his resignation in a 4-3 vote during an emergency meeting Sunday that came on the heels of a Texas Education Agency audit of DeSoto ISD's finances released earlier this month. 

The audit found that the district mismanaged its finances and accused the district of fraud, waste and abuse in instances that occurred before 2018 - prior to Weaver's hiring. 

RELATED: DeSoto ISD superintendent resigns in emergency meeting

Weaver wrote that he has been "unapologetically committed and fiercely loyal to improving this school district so that our children can feel the same sense of accomplishment I’ve felt every single day that I’ve served as your superintendent."

He does not, however, explain why he decided to leave his "dream job," though at times he does make references to his family. 

"Last night, I chose to move on so that DeSoto ISD can move forward," he wrote.

DeSoto ISD director of communications Tiffanie Blackmon-Jones said after the meeting Sunday the school board also voted to rescind an earlier decision to name Don Hooper as the board-appointed conservator and instead named him as the district’s acting superintendent.

The school board released a statement after the meeting Sunday.

“While this news may be disconcerting for some in our community," board president Karen Daniel wrote, "please note that we are deeply focused on supporting teachers and students in DeSoto ISD to a successful start to the school year and a seamless transition as we continue to work to move the district forward.”

On Aug. 19, Weaver released a news statement about the TEA findings, saying that since the period of time the TEA audited, the district's fund balance went from in the red to $7 million; improved its financial rating from an F to a C and improved its accountability rating from a D to a C.

In Weaver's letter after his resignation, he wrote that he was "not new to leading through difficult times, addressing financial missteps, solving complex problems, fixing broken systems, repairing culture and building community, inspiring creativity, caring for people, leading with integrity, compassion, and transparency, and improving student learning…among other things."

He also wrote about how he worked to live up to his grandmother Alberta Weaver's hopes for him throughout the letter.  

"She was my example of a hard worker—someone who would never throw in the towel, someone who cared enough about others to sacrifice her own needs, and someone who would give her last dollar to a stranger if it was needed," he wrote.

He even moved her and his mother down to North Texas after he took his "dream job" in DeSoto, he said.

Click here to read the full letter

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