Todd Lintzen named BCISD Superintendent
Published 11:27 am Monday, February 8, 2016
By Bobby Tingle
BRIDGE CITY — The Bridge City ISD school board met to consider a contract offer seeking Todd Lintzen services as Superintendent beginning March 1, 2016, during the Special Meeting held Wednesday Special Meeting held Wednesday, February 3. They also considered a pre-contract services agreement and a relocation package. The school board members in attendance voted unanimously to approve. The offer to be made to Mr. Lintzen is for an approximate salary of $158,000 per year and a one-time relocation package of $8,000. The contract term is three years.
Board President, Jerry McInnis, at that time informed attendees of the board’s legal obligation regarding adjournment of the open meeting to convene a closed session at the beginning of the meeting. The board then went into closed session. The purpose of the closed session was to consult with legal counsel regarding sections of the Texas Government Code. The sections considered, govern their legal obligations. Specifically the board sought to be in compliance for actions being considered in an open meeting.
The board reconvened the open session at approximately 6:37 p.m. prior to consideration of offering the contract to Lintzen.
The open meeting was adjourned and a reception for Lintzen followed.
In an email Jerry McInnis, BCISD Board President, provided Lintzen’s qualifications as follows.
“Todd Lintzen began his career 29 years ago in Winn Parish in Louisiana. He went into school administration in 1996 when he became a principal. He held various positions that included Middle School supervisor, Director of Instruction and Assistant Superintendent. For eight years he was assistant superintendent in Caddo Parish which had 14 schools and 8000 students that Todd was responsible for. Todd retired from the Louisiana school system before he accepted his first Superintendant position at Blue Ridge ISD in 2008 until this year. His career also included serving as Adjunct Professor at Northwestern University, Louisiana Tech University, and at Louisiana State University-Shreveport .”
A letter received by The Orange Leader on Monday, January 25,was written to the attention of six BCISD board members and the retiring superintendent. In the letter Larry Watts, Watts & Company Lawyers, LTD., stated the letter was regarding the possibility of illegal board meetings and illegal board actions. Watts was asked by email if the questions raised in the letter had been answered.
“I will check. The real question is why in the name of America, those elected officials would opt for opaqueness and secrecy, and knowingly violate the law?” Watts said in an email. “I believe they did because they hold the Constitution and law in low regard and they would rather listen to that insurance company known as TASB which has hijacked and privatized education in Texas.”
After the meeting, McInnis stated the board addressed the concerns raised by the letter in the closed session with legal counsel. He also stated the board had not acted illegally as alleged in Watts letter.
