MISD cancels school elections
By Nathan Straus News Reporter

The deadline for candidates to file for the Murchison Independent School District Board of Trustees is over, and no challengers have risen to oppose the incumbents.

This situation was acknowledged at the April 17 MISD Board of Trustees meeting. The incumbents, Shiree Head, Gerald Wood and Rusty Abney, were certified as unopposed in the upcoming May 10 school elections.

As a result, the council voted to cancel the school board election set for that Saturday. This move made it unnecessary to go through the steps of election or re-electing new school officials.

In another administrative decision, Shirley Rowe, former interim superintendent and principal, was named the full superintendent of MISD. Rowe took the place of former superintendent Scott Beene, who resigned earlier in the year.

Megan Reeves, MISD's business manager, said the school had no current plans for the principal position, but has posted an assistant principal position.

"We're going to have the superintendent and an assistant principal," Reeves said.

Reeves also said Rowe's first year was as an assistant principal, then she moved up to principal.

Rowe was also selected as the lone finalist for the superintendent position she received during the board meeting. She was named lone finalist on March 13.

Rowe first got into the field of education because she realized when she had children just how much of an impact teachers had on them, she said.

"I saw no other profession where you can have an impact on a child's life like you can in education," Rowe said. "I felt like it was my calling."

The superintendent, who lives in Tyler, said the transition from principal to superintendent will be an easy one.

Shirley lives in Tyler with her husband of 35 years, Ronnie Rowe. Shirley has two grown kids and enjoys the drive between Tyler and Murchison as a time to take a break while taking in the scenic view.