Less than 24 hours after a heated meeting regarding the future of Brookesmith Independent School District, Superintendent Guy Birdwell has tendered his resignation, which is effective immediately. School board president Terry Been said Birdwell’s decision to step down was a mutual agreement. At the outset of Wednesday’s meeting, Been and Birdwell explained the financial peril facing the district.

Once the conversation shifted to possible consolidation with another district, many in attendance became upset and voiced their disdain at the suggestion. Although Wednesday’s meeting was just a question and answer session, the point was raised that the district does not have funding to stay open beyond the end of the current school year. Many of the roughly 100 in attendance called for Birdwell to step down during the meeting. Birdwell has been superintendent since July 2015, taking the position despite financial and academic deficiencies facing the district at that time. The district received a sub-standard accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency after it was discovered the district had a negative fund balance. These financial issues have plagued the district for more than five years. An emergency school board meeting has been called for this evening at 6 p.m.