DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa Leaving?

The Dallas Independent School District may be looking for a new superintendent.

DISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa is the sole finalist for the top job at the Cobb County School District in Marietta, Ga.

The Cobb County School Board made the announcement at 6:15 p.m. at the beginning of its regular meeting.

Alison Bartlett, school board chair, called Hinojosa an "innovative leader who can take the district to the next level." The vote was unanimous, with all seven of the board members voting for Hinojosa as the sole finalist.

Hinojosa spoke to reporters after the announcement in Georgia, saying he's flattered and very interested in the job. But he also said it is not a done deal.

By Georgia law, the school board there can not offer him a contract for 14 days.

Hinojosa confirmed speculation that Texas school funding turmoil was a factor in his decision.

"Obviously, it doesn't make the job any more pleasant," said Hinojosa.

Hinojosa also said that DISD budget cuts were not the only factor. His oldest son lives in the Atlanta area and is expecting a child, he said. The child would be Hinojosa's first grandchild, and that is a very important factor, he said.

Hinojosa said he did not seek Georgia job, saying it only came along two weeks ago.

"This just lined up perfectly," he said.

Last year, Hinojosa was a finalist for the Clark County School District superintendent job in Las Vegas but was not offered the position.

Shortly after that announcement, DISD trustees approved a three-year contract extension that gave Hinojosa a total of five years' job security in Dallas.

"I'm the third longest-sitting superintendent in the United States in a major urban district, other than Atlanta and New York, who have the longest tenure, and I've looked for no other job," Hinojosa said in a September 2010 news conference. "This was just a unique situation that occurred. Certainly there are some fences that need to be mended and that's part of my responsibility and I'll do the outreach effort to make that happen. So no my name is off the market, absolutely my name is off the market, so please don't call me if you have an opening."

Cobb County is a suburban Atlanta district and is smaller than DISD.

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