Prosper ISD's Board of Trustees meets behind closed doors again Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 5 p.m. in the district's Board Room at 605 East 7th St., for a special session focused entirely on finding the district's next superintendent. It's the board's second special closed session on the search in nine days, following a Monday, Aug. 17, closed session in which trustees screened superintendent applicants alongside search firm Impact Education Specialists, the Prosper-Celina Journal reported. The Aug. 25 session follows the board's regular monthly meeting Monday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m.
Trustees hired Impact Education Specialists — the same firm Frisco ISD used for its own superintendent search — in a unanimous 7-0 vote in May, according to Prosper ISD. The board is working to replace Holly Ferguson, who retired in May after 23 years with the district, six of them as superintendent. Deputy Superintendent Bill McLaughlin has served as acting superintendent since Ferguson's departure.
"We are so pleased that Mr. McLaughlin has agreed to serve as Acting Superintendent while we continue our search," Board President Kelly Cavender said in a statement when McLaughlin was named to the role in May. "Dr. Ferguson's legacy includes a talented leadership team across Prosper ISD, and we are grateful that Mr. McLaughlin brings the experience and dedication needed to ensure a seamless transition for our students, staff, and community," according to Community Impact.
The search comes as the district navigates a significant budget shortfall. Trustees adopted the 2026-27 budget on June 16 with a projected $42.2 million shortfall — $25.1 million in the general fund and $17.1 million in debt service — according to Community Impact, which also confirmed the shortfall remained the backdrop for the board's superintendent search as of the Aug. 17 closed session. That figure is larger than some earlier planning estimates; a district budget briefing earlier in the year had projected a smaller shortfall before final adjustments. Specific details of a June 17 special session on the search process could not be independently confirmed for this story.
Prosper ISD's board has seen turnover in recent months. Allen Rountree and Kiwi Authers were newly sworn in earlier this year, replacing outgoing trustees Tommy Van Wolfe and Dena Dixon, according to the district's May 18 announcement of the Impact Education Specialists hire. Cavender's role as board president is confirmed via the district's own statements; the specific titles of other current officers — reported elsewhere as Vice President Garrett Linker and Secretary David Webb — could not be independently re-confirmed as of August for this story.
The district's own social media announced the Aug. 25 session; the exact wording of that post could not be independently verified for this story, as the district's social media posts were not directly accessible during fact-checking.
No date has been announced for a public vote on a finalist or a community meet-and-greet.
