By Bill Oliver
Commerce, TX –
Commerce school superintendent Keith Boles has been hired to run the Connally district near Waco. Boles will start his new job next Monday. At Monday night's Commerce school board meeting, trustees will consider hiring an interim superintendent and bringing on the same consulting group used to select Boles six years ago. The outside firm includes former Mesquite superintendent Dr. John Horn, who lives in Commerce and has grandchildren in the district, and Bruce Wood, the former superintendent of the Kaufman and Terrell districts.
Commerce school officials will be interviewing four candidates to be the next high school principal.
C-I-S-D Director of Personnel and Communications Ludonna Smithers said there were 13 applicants. The four interviews are scheduled to take place this week.
Commerce High also has a variety of available teaching and coaching positions for next year. Among the openings is head boys basketball coach. Lance Wright recently submitted his resignation after two years with the Tigers. The boys and girls soccer coach position is open for next year as are assistant football coaches. Coaching positions can be combined with teaching vacancies. Applications are being taken for high school Spanish, two high school math, two high school science, two high school social studies, two elementary, and a middle school position.
The first draft of a standardized dress policy in the Commerce district will be reviewed, trustees will also hear a report from the Texas Association of School Board on pay in the Commerce district, and in what used to be a regularly mundane item, trustees have major changes ahead to next year's school calendar.
Smithers said legislative action directed districts to start school no sooner than August 27th. That's about two weeks later than the current year. That means the first semester won't end until January. Students and teachers will have semester tests two weeks after the holiday break. Teacher in-service will be moved to before the school year begins.