Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 Superintendent Stacy Houser has resigned from his duties with the school board, although no official statement has been released. When asked for a statement Thursday, Houser said that he was waiting on a few phone calls. “I will say that my office is as clean as it has ever been,” said Houser. Other board members also had no comment at this time. School board treasurer Brian Demby explained that it is school board policy to defer all comments to go through the board president. “We are powerless as individuals, we only work as a group. Our president is our spokesperson, and that is our policy,” he said. School board president Tim Lanier said on Thursday that the board has no further comment or information about Houser’s leave. On Wednesday, Lanier said, “The official statement is that the board is not taking action, we don’t have a resignation yet. (Houser) has cleaned out his office.”
Houser came to the Re-1 School District to fill the role of superintendent in the summer of 2005. Prior to that he held diverse positions in education and public service in Texas and abroad. He was a policeman in Dallas, a youth camp official, a cultural center director in South Africa and has taught at Baylor Christian University in Texas, where he also earned a Bachelor’s degree in art before attaining a master’s degree in educational leadership from Austin State University. He then earned his Doctorate from Austin Presbyterian Seminary. Houser also did post-graduate work at Texas A&M. Houser was raised in Kenya, where his family were missionaries. It remains unclear what the Re-1 board has planned for the immediate future, or who will serve as interim superintendent. During a brief telephone interview, Houser said the he still supports the Re-1 school district. “I wish the students and staff all the best,” he added.