WACO (July 29, 2010)-The Waco I.S.D. School Board decided Wednesday to pick an in-house replacement for former superintendent Roland Hernandez, who resigned Tuesday night.

The board named Assistant-Superintendent Sheryl Davis as Interim Superintendent.

Davis is the assistant superintendent for Business & Support Services at Waco I.S.D.

The board delayed action Tuesday night after it formally accepted Hernandez's resignation “with mixed emotions.”

In 2008 and 2009, Hernandez was credited with improving student performance, finance and community relations.

In May, following an incident where a kindergarten teacher was arrested and charged with sexual abuse of a child, the board decided not to extend Hernandez's contract, which was scheduled to last through 2012.

Board members Allen Sykes, Pat Atkins and Norman Manning were appointed to a search committee to start the process of finding a permanent replacement for Hernandez, who was hired on July 19 as the chief administrative officer of the Corpus Christi ISD.

Hernandez, who denied a published report last month that he was planning to leave Waco, succeeds Michael Briones effective early next month.

According to an organizational flow chart on the Corpus Christi Independent School District website, Dr. Hernandez will oversee Human Resources, Athletics, Security and Police, Legal Services, and Technology Services.

Waco I.S.D. Board members weren't aware Hernandez was the finalist for the job.

The Waco Tribune-Herald reported last month that Hernandez's wife Cynthia told staff members and the board of directors of Avance in Waco that her husband had a new job offer and would be leaving the district, but Hernandez told the paper he wasn't going anywhere and said his wife's remarks were misinterpreted.

The Waco School Board hired Hernandez in June 2006 to replace Dr. Jerry Major. According to the Texas Education Agency, Hernandez was earning a base pay of $174,000.

According to the Corpus Christi ISD, Hernandez will earn about $136,000 this year and his full-year base salary will be $147,947.

Hernandez had been deputy superintendent in Tyler since July 2003.

He served as deputy superintendent in Belton from 2001 to 2002.

He holds a PhD in education administration from the University of Texas at Austin, a master's degree from the University of Houston at Clear Lake and a bachelor's of science degree from Southwest Texas State University.