Michael Hinojosa. Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD.

Michael Hinojosa, the superintendent of Dallas ISD, is resigning.

His last official day will be Dec. 31, 2022.

The news came officially at a Thursday press conference, and Hinojosa submitted a formal letter to the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees. However, the board has not yet taken official action. Even after they do, Hinojosa will be available to help with the transition.

“I’m very proud of what this district has accomplished,” Hinojosa said at the press conference.

“We want to thank him for all of the work in making Dallas ISD one of the fastest-improving large school districts in the entire nation. This transformation under Dr. Hinojosa’s leadership has been hallmarked by increasing student achievement, decreasing staff turnover and deftly navigating what has felt like crisis after crisis after crisis with stability and with grace,” board President Ben Mackey said.

Unofficial news of the resignation came before the press conference.

Dan Micciche, the trustee for District 3, wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday, “Thank you to Dr. Hinojosa for 13 years of dedicated service. Dr. Hinojosa is not leaving immediately. The school board will be considering a succession plan.”

“I think it’s just the right time,” Hinojosa said. He also said the political turmoil is not a factor in his resignation.

His first term as superintendent of the district lasted 2005-2011. He returned as interim superintendent in July 2015 and was rehired officially in October of that year. Months before the pandemic began, trustees extended Hinojosa’s contract through 2024.

Within a week, the board will appoint a committee to oversee the process to select a new superintendent, and the search will begin this month. Mackey said the board hopes to have a new superintendent by the spring, before the first day of the 2022-23 school year.

Hinojosa said a successful superintendent will motivate and push people and always work to make sure students are successful.

Hinojosa graduated from Sunset High School in Oak Cliff and has two sons who graduated from Hillcrest High School.

Over the past school year, Hinojosa has led the district through the pandemic. He was one of the first Texas superintendents to defy Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates by governmental entities.

Hinojosa said he’s “stepping up,” not stepping down. His wife won’t let him just stay at home, he said, so he is not retiring. He did not give specifics about what his future plans are.