Prosper ISD trustees spent nearly nine hours behind closed doors over two days deliberating on the district's next superintendent, with no hire announced.

The board held back-to-back special meetings on Tuesday, Sept. 8, and Thursday, Sept. 10, each convening at 5 p.m. in the Prosper ISD Board Room at 605 E. Seventh St. The Sept. 8 session ran until 9:20 p.m., lasting roughly four hours and 20 minutes. The Sept. 10 session ran until 9:29 p.m., according to draft minutes posted by the district.

Both sessions were held under Texas Government Code Chapter 551.074, which allows closed deliberation on personnel matters including hiring. No action was taken at either meeting.

All seven trustees attended both sessions. Board President Kelly Cavender joined the Sept. 10 meeting virtually. The remaining six members, Kiwi Authers, Bill Beavers, Jorden Dial, Garrett Linker, Allen Rountree and David Webb, were present in person for both.

The pace of the search has picked up. The district's Sept. 1 newsletter described the board as reviewing supplemental applications from selected candidates. One week later, the Sept. 8 newsletter said the board had moved to conducting interviews. The two marathon closed sessions followed immediately.

The board has not publicly named any finalists.

The search began after Superintendent Dr. Holly Ferguson retired. She led Prosper ISD through a period of growth to more than 34,000 students across Collin and Denton counties. The board voted 5-0 on May 26 to install Bill McLaughlin as acting superintendent. McLaughlin previously served as the district's deputy superintendent, chief of school leadership and innovation, and executive director of human resources across four years with Prosper ISD.

Impact Education Specialists, hired on a 7-0 board vote on May 18, is leading the search.

The next regular Prosper ISD Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. The agenda for that meeting has not yet been posted.