Grapevine-Colleyville names superintendent finalist in early morning meeting
Grapevine-Colleyville trustees named a deputy superintendent from the Garland school district as the lone superintendent finalist during a specially-called meeting early Friday morning.
The vote was unanimous to select Jason Adams as the lone finalist, according to a news release from Grapevine-Colleyville. Adams has 28 years of experience in teaching and administrative roles in Garland and Chicago.
According to state law, the school board must wait 21 days before officially naming Adams as the district’s next superintendent during the June 15 meeting.
“I am honored and humbled to be named the lone finalist for Superintendent of Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and grateful for the opportunity to serve this incredible community,” Adams said in the news release.
“GCISD’s tradition of excellence, strong community support, and deep commitment to students make this district truly special,” he said.
Board president Dalia Begin said: “Throughout this process, his outstanding commitment to students and clear vision for educational excellence truly stood out. We are confident he will build strong relationships with our students, staff, families, and community as we work together to provide exceptional opportunities for every child.”
During the superintendent search process, Grapevine-Colleyville conducted a survey and held nine forums to hear from the community on what it wanted from the next superintendent.
Over 720 took part in the survey and “dozens” attended the forums, according to the school district.
Feedback from the survey and community meetings indicated that people wanted strong leadership, clear and honest communication and a commitment to students and staff, the district stated in the news release.
But the superintendent search wasn’t without controversy
In April, former Grapevine-Colleyville principal James Whitfield, who is now superintendent of Treetop School in Euless, told the Star-Telegram that his name was “leaked” as one of the candidates applying for the job, a violation of Section 552.126 of the Texas Government Code, which protects the names of superintendent applicants from being shared before the announcement of a finalist by the board, even through open records requests.
Whitfield was the first Black principal at Colleyville Heritage High School in 2020. He was placed on leave a year later after he was accused at board meeting of promoting Critical Race Theory by a board candidate. After Whitfield and the district parted ways in 2023, he became the superintendent of Treetops School International, a charter school in Euless.
During the past year, Grapevine-Colleyville also faced stiff opposition from parents, students and Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate over the closing of two well-regarded elementary campuses, Bransford in Colleyville and Dove Elementary in Grapevine.
The board’s political makeup has also changed, with three conservative candidates losing their seats in the May 2 election. The board officers also changed, as Begin was named president earlier this week.
Adams brings 28 years of experience in teaching and administrative roles to Grapevine-Colleyville.
He began his career teaching in Garland before going to Chicago where he continued teaching until returning to the Garland school district.
Adams was a teacher, principal and assistant principal at Beaver Technology Center, a nationally recognized STEM magnet campus known for innovation, project-based learning and sustained academic growth, according to information from Grapevine-Colleyville.
Adams leadership earned recognition, including National Title I recognition and designation as an Apple Distinguished School.
Adams later made a transition to administration where he was executive director of leadership, supporting principals across a diverse network of campuses and leading school improvement efforts.
Adams earned a bachelor of education from Illinois State University, a master of dducational leadership from Texas A&M University-Commerce, and a doctor of education in educational leadership and policy from the University of Texas at Austin.
“I look forward to working collaboratively with the board, staff, families, and community to build on that strong foundation and continue creating opportunities for every student to grow, succeed, and thrive in school and beyond graduation. I am excited to serve the GCISD community and work side by side with stakeholders to continue building on the district’s legacy of excellence,” Adams said.
Adams will succeed Brad Schnautz, who resigned last November to become executive director of the Region XI Education Service Center.