New principal latest addition to WISD staff
Incoming superintendent says moves not indicative of 'wholesale' change
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

The selection of the new principal at Wharton High School was confirmed by the district's board of trustees as they approved the hiring of Chris Flowers to follow the retiring Don Jennings during Monday's regular board meeting.

Flowers, currently an assistant high school principal in Mannford, Okla., is a name familiar to incoming Superintendent James Bartosh.

"Chris Flowers was my athletic director for two years at Granger before he moved on to serve as AD in Smithville and then moved into administration with the Giddings ISD before moving to Oklahoma. Coach Tracey Hunt (the new Wharton AD) was his first assistant coach."

Bartosh admitted that it was an unusual set of circumstances that is allowing him the opportunity to hire a high school principal and an athletic director at the start of his stay.

"It's very fortunate that it worked out in this manner," he said. "It's rare that a new superintendent has the opportunity to put together this much administrative staff.

"It normally doesn't happen like that but it is nice when it does."

Bartosh said people shouldn't expect wholesale changes based on just a couple of hirings. He said the interest being shown by the district and the community is actually a tribute to the administration of outgoing Superintendent Don Hillis.

"It's a compliment to his leadership and the excellence of the people he hired," Bartosh said. "It's been 30 odd years since there were several major changes like this and that's a reflection of the stability of the district. But conversely when things have been in place that long, it doesn't take much shaking to create that fizz.

"The district is even replacing two old campuses with one new one which is happening by chance at this time."

Bartosh said he has confidence in any staffing recommendations made by Flowers and Hunt regarding their areas of expertise.

"They were the two best ADs I've worked with and I've been with eight school district's so I've got experience," the superintendent said. "And they both share my philosophy that coaches are classroom teachers first and their duties on the field are second."

In addition to hiring Chris Flowers as high school principal, the board also approved hiring his wife Iann Flowers as general assignment elementary teacher for grades one through eight. The board also hired two coach-teacher couples.

Glen Killough was hired as a PE/football coach while his wife Casey Killough was hired as an English teacher and Jeff Alexander was hired as a vocational counselor/football and swim coach while his wife Stacey was hired as a general assignment teacher for grades four through eight.

All have previous connections to the Granger ISD and Bartosh.

In other actions, Roben Eller was retained as the health teacher/tennis coach while Kelly Kerlin was hired as a science teacher/head baseball coach.

An assistant at West Columbia High School, Kerlin was recommended for the baseball job by retiring head coach Floyd Ciruti.

"And I think it was a good recommendation," Bartosh said.

"But it turned out that Kerlin was in junior high in Taylor when I was at the high school. I didn't know him but I did know his parents and I also know some other people in the school business that know him so we checked him out that way as well.

"I've been around the business enough years that its rare that I'm not going to know someone or know someone who knows someone applying for a job with the district."