Also introducing other administrators
By Becky Brewster
The Culberson County-Allamoore ISD Board of Trustees met in Special Session on August 18 to approve the offer to the new Superintendent. This day marked the end of the 21-day lone finalist waiting period. The offer was extended to Kenneth Ray Baugh who comes to Van Horn most recently from Throckmorton ISD. Upon acceptance of the offer, the Board voted to accept the Superintendent contract as presented to be effective immediately. Upon taking his seat at the dais, Baugh grinned and stated, “I’m just excited.” Following the meeting, Baugh was heading to the football field for his first Eagle scrimmage.
Ken Baugh is the newly appointed Superintendent of CCAISD and he is excited to be here. When you talk with him, he exudes excitement and enthusiasm about Van Horn, about the school and about life in general. When asked “Why Van Horn?” Baugh responded, that they “were looking for a home” (not just a place to live) and a smaller school district where he can get to know the students and their families and become a part of the community. He thinks he has found that home in Van Horn, stating the people in Van Horn have been amazingly friendly and willing to joke and cut up. Baugh has already made it a point to drop in at several agencies in town and meet everyone. He says that he never gets tired of looking out his door as this is probably the most beautiful country around.
Baugh comes to Van Horn with his “beautiful bride of 41 years”, Pam. He has two children, and two 21-month old granddaughters. Baugh was born in Abilene but moved quite a bit when he was younger, staying in the West Texas and Eastern New Mexico areas. He obtained his BBA from West Texas State and started his career in the business sector. With a decision to switch careers, he subsequently obtained his Master of Education, Mid-Management and Superintendent Certifications from Abilene Christian University. Baugh was with Hawley ISD for nine years transitioning from Special Ed to District Administration over Special Programs during his tenure. He then served as Superintendent at Gustine ISD for ten years followed by a stint at Throckmorton ISD.
In discussing what he hoped to accomplish during his first year at CCAISD, Baugh enthused that “he is hoping to build excitement about the school.” He dreams that the students and staff will walk through the doors excited to be there. And he hopes that this excitement will spread through to the parents and the community. His long-term vision is to sustain the excitement which he acknowledges is a difficult task, but he seems up to the challenge. If a student is excited and feels like he is part of something, he will work harder and become more involved which will prepare him to be a better person, and be better prepared to face life after school. Baugh stated that in addition to focusing on academics, there will be an emphasis on character and how to get along with others.
Baugh admitted that he has a tendency to work long hours because he loves his vocation so much, but that, with the help of his wife, he makes a conscious effort to spend time with his family and participate in church and community activities. For fun, he likes to travel if he can ever make the time. He also likes to read, noting that his students have influenced his reading choices as he tends to favor the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter series that he read in an effort to be familiar with what the students were reading.
Welcome to Van Horn, Ken Baugh!
Aaron Hannah
I am excited to be the principal for CCAISD. We have a motivated staff that has a passion for teaching students. I most recently served as the Special Education Coordinator at Wylie ISD in the Dallas area. I have a passion for educating kids and preparing students for life after high school. Students can expect a rigorous and fun school year. I hope to see parents at Meet the Teacher Night on Thursday from 4 to 6pm.
University of North Texas-Master’s in Educational Administration
Northcentral University – Master’s in Psychology and an emphasis in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
Truman State University – Bachelor’s with a major in Psychology
Sondra McCoy
Sondra McCoy is an assistant principal at CCAISD this year. She has been a counselor for the past 10 years and is looking forward to the new challenge. Sondra graduated from Van Horn High School in 198?. She attended Sul Ross State University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in English and Masters of Education in School Counseling and has her principal certification. Sondra is married to Jeff McCoy, has three daughters and a son-in-law, Lindsey and Brock Tyrrell, Hayley McCoy, and Emiley McCoy. She is the very proud Nana of her two grandchildren, MJ and Joley Tyrrell. Sondra believes CCAISD is blessed with the most dedicated teachers and employees and said it is truly an honor to serve the students, teachers, parents, and staff in this community. She is looking forward to all this year holds for our school district.
Gracie Fuentes
I am honored to be the Assistant Principal for Pre-K thru 6th grade this school year. I am looking forward to serving the students, parents, staff, and community members in this endeavor. I started out as a student at Eagle Elementary in the early 70s and have come full circle as an administrator at Van Horn Schools. I am so proud to be a part of what we have planned for this school year. This summer, the staff traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to learn about Ron Clark and the strategies implemented at his academy. We have already begun our work here and our planning on getting students to be engaged, be motivated and learn with rigor and relevance. This will now transform as the students start school next week. I want to thank everyone for your continued support as we strive to make a difference in children’s lives. It takes a village!
I received a Bachelor of Arts, Masters as a Reading Specialist, and a Masters in Administration from Sul Ross State University. My experience includes teaching in grades Pre-K thru 4th grade for over ten years and as Instructional Coach for the last year and a half. My biggest accomplishment was being employed by the University of Texas System from 2004-2010 as a Reading Technical Assistance Specialist. I worked with over 100 teachers in seven districts. It allowed me to work in different capacities and has prepared me to lead with a coaching leadership style.
