Caloss named lone finalist for vacant superintendent position
The Wills Point ISD met Dec. 9 for a rare Wednesday night affair, hearing reports from both their tax attorney and auditing firm before opening a new chapter for the district by announcing the selection of Scott Caloss, currently at Poth ISD, as the lone finalist for the open superintendent position.
The board noted, "Mr. Caloss now serves as superintendent of the Poth Independent School District. The board was aided in their search for a superintendent by the Texas Association of School Boards. TASB helped the district advertise the position and recruit candidates based on a superintendent profile created from community input. The district had 55 people apply for the position. After narrowing the field of applicants, the board interviewed a select number of candidates and made the announcement of the sole candidate at the Dec. 9 board meeting."
Caloss' online profile on the Poth ISD website notes: "Scott Caloss became superintendent of Poth Independent School District in August of 2012. Mr. Caloss is proud and honored to be part of such a great school district. He has been part of the Poth school district for 11 years, 8 years as the junior high principal and the past 3 years as the superintendent. He brings 23 years of experience in public education from a wide variety of school districts. Prior to Poth ISD, Mr. Caloss was a math teacher and coach at Jourdanton ISD and later became the assistant principal at the Jourdanton High School. He also has experience as a math teacher and coach from his work at the Valley Mills Public Schools, near Waco, and Birdville Independent School District, near Fort Worth.
"Mr. Caloss received his bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, where he studied physical education and mathematics. He received his master’s degree in educational administration from Texas Women’s University in Denton and his superintendent’s certification from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Mr. Caloss is currently working on his doctorate in educational leadership from The University of Texas at Austin.”
The announcement by the district caps a lengthy planning, review and interview process that has been in the works for several months.
With an assist from Executive Search Services, a superintendent search firm that is a service of the Texas Association of School Boards, the district held planning and community involvement sessions in September.
Butch Felkner, a director with ESS, stated, “Mr. Caloss went through the regular process we go through during our searches. He was one of many really good applicants that we reviewed.”
Felkner added that the Wills Point ISD’s search was centered on experienced candidates, with the criteria of having at least principal, administration, assistant superintendent or superintendent level experience.
A review of applications allowed trustees to conduct their initials interviews with their top six candidates Nov. 10-12, and follow-up interviews with their top three candidates Dec. 1-3. Trustees were scheduled for a site visit to the home district of the candidates earlier this week, and then selected Caloss as their finalist Dec. 9.
After a mandatory wait period, the official vote to hire is scheduled to take place at the Jan. 5 WPISD Board of Trustees meeting. Although no start date has been announced, Caloss is expected to officially take the reins from interim superintendent Randy Hancock in early 2016.
In other business:
-Trustees unanimously approved presentations from the district’s tax attorney, Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson, LLP, and auditing firm Whitley Penn.
