Carroll ISD students crushed beloved principal won’t be handing them their diplomas
The Southlake Carroll school district prides itself on “a tradition of excellence,” but many students’ favorite tradition has been stripped from them: being handed their diploma by Principal Ryan Wilson.
Among other personnel changes, Carroll Senior High School’s principal of four years was not offered a contract for the 2026-28 school years. Carroll High School’s principal Christina Benhoff didn’t receive a renewal either. Parents, students and district employees made their disapproval known May 5 as they protested and spoke out at the school board meeting.
Wilson will still be on stage for the May 23 graduation ceremony at Dragon Stadium, just in a different capacity than usual. Superintendent Jeremy Glenn said this year’s ceremony will be student-led, a change that began with discussions last fall.
“The plan is, and always has been, that both Mr. Wilson and Miss Benhoff will be on stage, shaking hands, congratulating students as they receive their diplomas,” Glenn said at the school board meeting. “Mr. Wilson will have the microphone last to speak to students and dismiss the class of 2025.”
Glenn said the board hopes that the differences in the graduation ceremony will make the event more enjoyable and family friendly for students and the community.
Though there were many reasons the hundreds of meeting attendees were upset, the name that came up again and again was Ryan Wilson.
One parent who came up to the microphone said Wilson is the type of educator you’d name a building after. Another said he deserves a place on the Southlake Carroll Mount Rushmore.
“Each morning as I drive into school, Mr. Wilson greets me with a smile on his face as he directs traffic into the Senior High parking lot,” senior Caroline Smith said. “Directing traffic is a thankless job, and he probably has many more important things to do, but he does it with grace and humility, rain or shine, and that’s how he takes on every role as principal at our school.”
Smith said Wilson is what makes Southlake Carroll Senior High School exemplary and her high school experience would not have been the same without his presence on campus.
Madeline Riehl, a senior who is heavily involved in the senior high school’s fine arts department, said Wilson is a unique administrator because he cares equally about sports and the fine arts. He attends every concert, dress rehearsals and out of state competitions, not just to be seen but to support wholeheartedly.
The hardest part of the whole situation for Riehl is not having her diploma handed to her by Wilson.
“I know that this is silly compared to everything that’s happening, but that’s honestly, arguably the thing that I’m most sad about,” Riehl said. “Again, he’s someone who knows all of our names, has been there for all of the events we do, and supported us in everything. I mean, he is our principal, and the person that we were really excited to get to our diplomas from.”
Riehl said she’s hopeful the school board saw the hundreds of people who came out to the meeting and understands that the names on the contracts are valued and cared for by the community.
In addition to organizing the protest, students have garnered thousands of signatures on a petition to renew Wilson’s contract.
Another senior, Ashton Tate, said her family has lived in Southlake for generations, so the phrase “protect the tradition” that the school district prides itself on means a lot to her.
“Throughout my four years of high school, I was in marching band, a football trainer and a girls basketball manager,” Tate said. “Throughout all of these things, Mr. Wilson has shown up time and time again, in state, out of state, day and night, always with a smile on his face.”
The care and aid he has tirelessly given the high school students changed the outcome of her experience, Tate said.
“There are many rumors that none of us truly know the details about, but what I do know is this: that the senior class loves Mr. Wilson,” Tate said, “and if he isn’t able to hand us our diplomas and take pictures at graduation, it would be an absolute disappointment to so many of us. I’ve looked forward to the moment of walking across the stage and hearing ‘Class dismissed’ for so long, and we all want Mr. Wilson to be a part of this substantial moment that we have worked so hard for.”