The Katy ISD board of trustees voted 4-3 Monday night to name Acting Superintendent Ken Gregorski their sole finalist to replace the outgoing and embattled Lance Hindt.

The majority, which included board president Courtney Doyle, decided on an in-house choice for the next leader of the 80,000 student district. However, three of the trustees - including Rebecca Fox, the longest-serving board member voted against Gregorski at the Monday night board meeting.

Fox, along with trustees Dawn Champagne and Susan Gessoff, had wanted to hire a firm to conduct a national search for a new superintendent.

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“This vote is not about Mr. Gregorski. My vote will be about the process,” Fox said.

The meeting was occasionally acrimonious with trustee George Scott - a firm Gregorski advocate - accusing Fox and Champagne of being agents of “anarchy and chaos” after they earlier made social media comments about their concerns over the issue.

“They have proven themselves to be non credible,” Scott said.

After the vote, Doyle acknowledged some board members were not satisfied with the hiring process.

“That’s okay. We’re all entitled to our opinion,” Doyle said. “As you saw tonight, the majority of the board felt differently.”

Gregorski has been with the district for two years as a senior KISD official and previously had been a teacher in the district. His advocates on the board worried that a pause to conduct a national search for superintendent would halt the district’s forward momentum.

“I have personally observed his extraordinary leadership for over two years,” Scott said. “Katy ISD has the people in place right now who understand the complexities of the challenges.”

A new superintendent was required after Hindt resigned following allegations he had abused a Katy man decades ago while they were both junior high students. Hindt has denied the charge.

In addition to the abuse allegations, Hindt has been accused of plagiarizing work from another post graduate student while he was working on a doctoral degree from the University of Houston

Hindt earlier announced he was resigning because of what he characterized as attacks against his family after the first claims were made against him. He will receive about $700,000 in "separation pay" when he formally steps down after the end of the year.

Gregorski has been an educator for more than 25 years, from teacher to principal to assistant superintendent before taking the number two job at Katy ISD. He has two children who are Katy students.

"It is expected that Gregorski will maintain Katy ISD's educational excellence and sustain its continuity of leadership while also helping the district reach the goal of its five year strategic plan," the district said in a statement.

James Strickland, who has two children in Katy ISD, said he was supportive of Gregorski landing the top job.

"But, I definitely think the board needs to come together and iron out their differences," Strickland added.

mike.glenn@chron.com

@mrglenn