Texas School Board Institute

The Institute is a unique leadership development opportunity for school board members and superintendents. Our focus is on building your governance skills and ability to enact positive change for students in your district. We want participants to leave knowing exactly what it means to model strong governance in public schools.

The Institute is centered around the Transformational Governance Framework, which provides a blueprint for school board members to deeply understand and maximize their governance role in pursuit of breakthrough outcomes for students.

The Institute’s agenda will also include time for networking, downtime for reflection, and space for board members and superintendents to collaborate.

In 2023, the CRSS gifted its training content to The Holdsworth Center because of its expertise in school and district leadership.

Building upon CRSS’ high-quality curriculum and case studies, we are excited to offer an unparalleled leadership training experience aimed at helping newly elected school board members and superintendents find common values and drive positive change for students in their districts.

The Institute is primarily designed for newly elected trustees and their superintendents.

Each district may register up to three board members plus the superintendent for a total of four people per district.

As a prerequisite, superintendent attendance is required for the full weekend. We believe this is critical for building strong partnerships and alignment with school board members. If the superintendent is unable to attend, the next Institute offering will be in 2026. If you have any questions about this, please reach out to our Executive Superintendent-in-Residence, Dr. Marcelo Cavazos at mcavazos@holdsworthcenter.org.

Ultimately, we leave it to the superintendent’s and board’s judgment as to who would benefit most from this training opportunity. While the training is most useful for board members newer to their roles, we recognize that each Team of 8 has a unique context. If you would like to discuss this further with a staff member, please reach out to our Executive Superintendent-in-Residence, Dr. Marcelo Cavazos at mcavazos@holdsworthcenter.org.

If a district anticipates newly elected board members in the May 2025 election who will want to attend the Institute, please indicate this upon registration in February. A district will be able to register and reserve spots for the superintendent and up to three school board members; after the May election, you can notify us of the specific names/board members who will be attending.

When H-E-B Chairman Charles Butt founded The Holdsworth Center in 2017, he envisioned a unique model designed to create lasting change within school districts and a place that would reflect the importance of Texas educators and the work they do. Across the nation, there's nothing like the Campus on Lake Austin, a dedicated space for educators to learn, grow, reflect and collaborate. With outdoor and indoor meeting spaces, a dock classroom, fitness center, social hub and guest lodging, the Campus is designed for engaging learning and private reflection, and to build strong bonds among leaders.

To maintain the learning environment and retreat-like setting, all participants should plan to stay on the Campus on Lake Austin for the entirety of the three-day weekend. Lodging, meals, and access to all amenities are included with the cost of registration. Visit our campus page for a virtual tour and more information.

If we have already reached capacity for the 2025 Institute when we receive your registration, we will add you to a wait list and will ask if you want to be notified when registration opens for the Institute in 2026. For questions about registration or future Institutes, please contact Dr. Marcelo Cavazos, Executive Superintendent-in-Residence at mcavazos@holdsworthcenter.org.