The Grand County School District Board of Education voted unanimously on Sept. 10 to accept Superintendent Dr. Mike McFalls’ resignation, ending his tenure just over a year after he was hired.
The separation agreement was approved 5-0 as part of the board’s consent agenda without discussion. At the end of the meeting, Board President Melissa Byrd announced that Business Administrator Matthew Keyes will serve as acting superintendent until the board appoints an interim or hires a permanent replacement.
Byrd did not respond to follow-up requests for comment. Keyes also declined to answer specific questions about the board’s reasoning, the timing of the decision, what expectations the board felt were not met, or an estimated timeline for when there will be an interim or permanent superintendent.
Instead, he provided a written statement:
“We do not comment on individual personnel matters. The board makes decisions based on its collective judgment about what is in the best interests of students, employees, parents, and the broader community,” he wrote. “Our priority will continue to be the cultivation of an educational environment in which students are empowered to learn and grow, and in which our employees are supported in carrying out that mission to the best of their abilities.”
(The Times-Independent) Matthew Keyes, business administrator for Grand County School District, was named acting superintendent following the board’s 5-0 vote to accept Mike McFalls’ resignation.
McFalls calls resignation “forced”
McFalls, who had been placed on administrative leave Aug. 18, the third day of school, told the board during public comment that the resignation was not voluntary.
“This evening, you will vote on accepting my forced resignation, which you asked me to give, without warning and stating no reason or cause, only ‘it’s not a good fit,’” McFalls said during the public comment period of the Sept. 10 meeting. “I was told I was not meeting board expectations without specifics or opportunity for remediation.”
In a follow-up interview, McFalls said the board gave him a draft resignation agreement that day and told him he could either resign or be terminated. In a written response, he disputed the board president’s statement that he had been told he was not meeting expectations. He said his evaluations and quarterly meetings had been positive and no deficiencies were ever identified.
Under his contract, the board was permitted to end his employment without cause. The separation agreement includes a payout of roughly $102,000 — equal to about six months of salary, benefits and retirement contributions.
District challenges and initiatives
McFalls emphasized that he had done “nothing illegal, immoral or unethical” and said he is proud of the work begun during his tenure. Ahead of the school year, he told The Times-Independent he was optimistic despite tight budgets and uncertain funding, pointing to across-the-board raises for staff, new leadership hires, near-full staffing and the launch of the High Reliability Schools program to strengthen school culture.
In his Sept. 10 remarks, McFalls pointed to persistent challenges: declining enrollment and student performance near the bottom of Utah’s 41 districts, despite ranking tenth in per-pupil spending. In an interview, he added that proficiency levels were low across multiple measures and that some student populations were on the state “watch list,” meaning state intervention could follow if scores did not improve. He also described a lack of aligned systems between schools and lingering staff morale issues that the district had begun to address.
“People need to know that the district has not been performing well,” he told The Times-Independent. “We were working to raise achievement across the board and get the state out of our business.”
To that end, McFalls said he had purchased new curriculum, developed progress monitoring systems, created monthly instructional and administrative meetings and launched school climate surveys tied to action plans. He also said he formed a new instructional team with principals and coaches to provide constructive feedback to teachers, worked to align curriculum across schools and introduced tools to strengthen instruction in a supportive way.
“My intent was to build better systems, establish strong structures and encourage accountability,” McFalls said in the meeting. “As a team, I wanted to build something special and grow Grand County to become the top rural district in Utah … When you start to make changes, it’s sure to ruffle feathers and believe me, I know I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but I was all in on Grand County.”
(The Times-Independent) Board President Melissa Byrd speaks during the Sept. 10 Grand County School District Board of Education meeting where the board accepted McFalls’ resignation.
A Texas native with nearly four decades in education — including roles as a superintendent in Colorado, a principal at multiple grade levels and a classroom teacher — McFalls also said moving to Moab had fulfilled a long-held dream.
“I love this area, this district, the students and the staff. I anticipated this being my last position before complete retirement,” he said.
Community voices concerns
Applause followed McFalls’ remarks at the meeting, and several community members echoed his concerns during the public comment period.
His wife, Elizabeth McFalls, who has also worked in education, said the board denied her husband basic professional respect.
“The manner in which this decision was carried out without warning, explanation or the opportunity for a conversation feels unnecessarily harsh and deeply impersonal,” she said. “Regardless of what may have led to this decision tonight, the lack of communication denies someone the most basic professional courtesy — the chance to understand, to reflect or to course correct.”
Longtime teacher Bernie Radcliffe, who has taught in Grand County for more than three decades, spoke in support of McFalls’ leadership and criticized the timing of the decision as “unprofessional.”
Other speakers, including Diane and Kyle VanArsdol, urged the board to reconsider, describing the resignation as unjust and damaging to the district’s reputation.
“This is not just about one person — it is about fairness, integrity, and the values that I hope that this school district stands for as elected board members,” Diane said.
A letter read on behalf of Pastor Cole Howe of Moab Baptist Church called the move “bullying by this board” and said the lack of explanation is “a horrible reflection on you as individual members of the Grand County School Board, on our school district and on our community.”
McFalls warns of ‘chilling message’
McFalls closed his Sept. 10 statement by thanking the community for its support and, speaking from his faith as a Christian, said he would leave the position without grudges, wishing the board and district well.
In a follow-up interview, McFalls said the decision could send what he called a “chilling message” to staff and administrators. He said when he arrived, employees were afraid to make decisions for fear of punishment, and he tried to empower them to lead without worry of repercussions.
“Now, when I’ve done nothing wrong, I’ve invested in the district and they just say ‘it’s not a good fit’ and they won’t say why,” McFalls said. “What message does that send? If you’re an administrator, what does that look like for you? … That’s not how you run a district.”
This story was first published by The Times-Independent.
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