Dr. Mike Rockwood Named Lone HPISD Superintendent Finalist
The Highland Park ISD board of trustees March 27 named Lake Dallas ISD Superintendent Dr. Mike Rockwood as the lone finalist for the top job in Highland Park ISD.
Rockwood has served as superintendent in Lake Dallas ISD since 2021. Prior to Lake Dallas ISD, Dr. Rockwood served as the deputy superintendent in Lamar CISD, a 6A school district near Houston. Over the years, Rockwood also served in additional central office roles in Lamar CISD, as well as Sheldon ISD, including as chief of staff, executive director, and communications and public information officer.
“The entire board is very, very excited about Mike and his qualifications and his experience, and his passion, and his excitement, and we feel confident that he’ll be a great successor to [current HPISD Superintendent Dr. Tom] Trigg,” HPISD board president Tom Sharpe said. “In the next couple of months, Mike and Dr. Trigg have already indicated a strong desire to work collaboratively.”
“After a lot of work and a lot of question marks and uncertainty for the staff, for the students, for the community, we’re excited to [announce] this,” Sharpe added. “We look forward to sharing more information over the coming weeks and months.”
Dr. Rockwood holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Texas A&M, a Master of Strategic Public Relations from The George Washington University, and a Doctor of Education in K-12 Educational Leadership from Baylor University. He’s also a District Leadership Fellow with the SMU Institute for Leadership Impact.
“Leading in Highland Park ISD is a privilege and honor for myself and my family,” Dr. Rockwood said. “It is clear to me that the Park Cities are full of caring and committed individuals who want the very best for our students. I’m so excited to honor and build upon HPISD’s tradition of excellence to ensure our future is brighter than ever.”
He and his wife Jené, who works in the oil and gas industry as the Global Director of Marketing at Impact Fluid Solutions, have three children Mikayla, Luke, and Lauren. Two of their children are school-age and will attend HPISD schools.
After a state-mandated 21-day waiting period, the board will vote to officially approve Rockwood, who, if approved, will be only the ninth superintendent for the district.
The superintendent search process began in October 2022 after Trigg, who joined Highland Park ISD as superintendent in 2015, announced he would step down at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
