Matagorda ISD Superintendent Barbara Marchbanks has announced her retirement after 43 years of service in education in Texas schools.
“Serving children and school districts has always been my heart and passion,” said Marchbanks.
“I would rather work to improve education for children than to take a vacation.”
Marchbanks began her teaching career in Toowoomba Queensland Australia, where she taught as an intern in the public schools for three months in 1979.
Upon completing her Bachelor’s degree and certification in education and biology from East Texas Baptist University she taught in a private Christian school in Fort Worth for a year.
From there she spent seven years teaching in Cleburne ISD, two years teaching in Fort Worth ISD, eight years teaching in Rio Vista ISD, and eight years teaching in Keene ISD.
She received her Master’s degree and administrator’s certification in Education Administration from Tarleton University and completed half of the hours required for a doctorate and her superintendent certification at Angelo State University.
She has spent the last 17 years serving as superintendent at Star ISD, McDade ISD, and Matagorda ISD.
During her career, she has been awarded the “Bravo Award” from the Texas Council of Women School Executives for her program that allowed students at McDade ISD to design, build, and launch satellites through NASA at Cape Canaveral.
She also has received the “Mirabeau B Lamar Award” from the Grand Lodge of Texas for excellence in education, and accommodations from the Texas Senate and The Texas House of Representatives for excellence in education.
Marchbanks and her husband Pastor David Marchbanks have five children and are expecting their 14th grandchild in May.
“Our daughter is expecting a daughter in May and has had some complications and illness, she needs us, and we want to be there for her and her family,” she explained.
“Through the birth of all of my children and grandchildren, both David and I have not always been unable to be there for our grandkids in the big and small times of their lives.
It is time we turn our focus on our grandchildren and truly be there for them.”
She added that Matagorda will always have a place in their hearts.
“We have fallen in love with Matagorda, the community, our church where David has pastored and our hearts are full of the love we have been shown during our stay here,” said Marchbanks.
“The school, churches, and community will forever remain in our hearts and our prayers as we continue down the path that God leads us.”
After the birth of their granddaughter Marchbanks and her husband have several mission trips and a trip to Alaska planned.
“We have traveled to all but one of our 50 states and we have traveled in 6 other countries doing mission work,” she said.
“We look forward to sharing our love of travel and missions with our grandchildren.”
