MART, Texas — A hearing held Friday morning is revealing new details behind Mart ISD's decision to terminate former Superintendent Betsy Burnett. The school board claims Burnett violated several district policies.
- In November of 2024, Mart ISD school board voted 6 to 1 to terminate the contract of current superintendent, Betsy Burnett.
- The board claims Burnett violated several district policies including disrespecting the board both publicly and in private and secretly recording meetings.
- The board shared that Burnett was given a 17 page report on the reasoning for her termination.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“ The board tried and the board did not want to get to where we are today,” Mart ISD School Board President Sara Deike said.
Last year Mart ISD school board voted to terminate Superintendent Betsy Burnettt.
For the first time - we’re learning new details about the board's reasoning for that decision through a public hearing that took place Friday morning.
“We are here today because—by her actions, Mrs.Burnett has seriously compromised her relationship with the district-elected Board of Trustees,” the district's lawyer said.
The board claimed Burnett violated several district policies including disrespecting the board both publicly and in private -
Some of which caught on tape.
“ If you want this job then go get your degree and come get this job,” Burnett in one audio clip said.
The board also claims she secretly recorded board meetings and used her position as superintendent for personal advantage.
“She recorded the meeting and failed to notify the board of the recording, it did have an executive session on that. She took that recording off of the campus and had that in her possession,” said Deike.
The board says they believe Burnett's unprofessional behavior was a result of an annual evaluation given to her by the board in January of 2024.
Claiming Burnett was unhappy with her evaluation and began not showing up to several meetings and training.
And telling one member he didn't deserve his position on the board.
“We were going back and forth and at the end of the day she told me I didn’t deserve to be on the board,” board member Richard Green said.
Audio played at Friday’s hearing shows Burnett apologizing for making such remarks.
“If that’s what you heard I am truly sorry. I never meant to tell you that you don’t deserve to be on that board, because you do,” Burnett in one audio clip said.
Other members of the board say that the problems have even affected their personal lives.
“ My wife and I go to the same church as Mr. and Mrs.Burnett and it’s the most unreal thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” said school board member John Murphy.
The board also shared that Burnett was given a 17-page report on the reasoning for her termination.
The hearing is scheduled to continue Monday at 9:00 a.m.
25 news will be there providing more details as they become available.
