A Year After Tornado Destroys Red Oak ISD Elementary, Superintendent Leaves for Allen ISD Post

GLENN HEIGHTS -- When a caller told Scott Niven, "I think y'all might have some damage to one of your schools," the Red Oak ISD superintendent wasn't prepared for what he saw on that dark rainy night a year ago.A tornado had ripped into Donald T. Shields Elementary the day after Christmas and the destruction was massive."In a superintendent's career, that's certainly something you hope you never have to deal with," Niven, 51, said. "It's a state of devastation to take a direct hit from a tornado like that."But the rebuilt school, about 20 miles southwest of Dallas, shows little evidence today of the twister that crumbled its brick walls to the ground and smashed gaping holes in the ceiling. The school has moved on. And now, so has Niven. He is leaving a nearly decade-long career at the roughly 6,000-student district to take over as superintendent of Allen ISD and its approximately 21,000 students. He starts Jan. 2 with a base salary of $275,000, his contract states. Niven is leaving a year after cleaning up the tornado mess and guiding the school through a $13 million, eight-month rebuild.   Continue reading...