Sunday, June 30, 2024
While most campuses in Gatesville ISD employ one principal at each of their five campuses, it was recently decided by the Oglesby Independent School District to hire an additional principal to help with the growing student body.
According to Oglesby ISD Superintendent Shane Webb, “Our primary goal is to enhance the educational experience and support for all students and staff. By creating two distinct roles, we can ensure that the unique needs of both our elementary and secondary students are met with dedicated attention and expertise.”
Casey Melton, who served her first year as principal at Oglesby ISD from 2023 until 2024, said that “In the spring semester, the decision was to implement a second full-time administrator. It just made sense to split the roles by campuses, allowing each person to take a primary focus on either elementary or secondary components.”
Melton continued, “We are able to center our work around the diverse needs of the students at each level. I am excited to continue building those relationships and hone in on the specific needs in the secondary grades, while still being a part of the growth and learning taking place at the elementary level.”
Casey Melton, who served as the Oglesby ISD principal grades Pre-K through 12th grade, is a 2007 graduate of Tarleton State University and started her career at Killeen ISD. In August of 2014, she was employed at the Gatesville ISD Elementary School as a third-grade teacher. During that time, she received her Master of Education degree in Educational Administration in 2019 and worked as assistant principal at Gatesville Intermediate from 2021-2023 before becoming principal at Oglesby ISD.
Melton reflected about her first year as principal for Pre-K through 12th grade, “Being in Oglesby, working with 4-year-olds to teenagers in single day, and seeing how a child starts their academic career with Pre-K and advances to the moment of high school graduation is an experience that I will forever cherish from my first year here at OISD.”
At present, Keegan Webb will serve as the elementary principal, serving Pre-K through 5th grade while Melton will take the lead as principal in grades from 6th to 12th.
Webb became the principal at Gatesville Elementary School in the 2019-20 school year. She served five years as the principal of the elementary school and assistant principal four years prior to that. Webb, a 2000 graduate of Gatesville High School, received her bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University and her master’s degree from the University of North Texas.
Webb previously taught for Midlothian and Duncanville ISD’s before returning home to Gatesville where she taught elementary music, middle school choir, third grade, served as ESL Coordinator, Special Programs Coordinator, and as an assistant principal. In a past comment, Webb said her favorite thing about being the principal of Gatesville Elementary “are the amazing students, staff, and parents I get to work with each day.”
Upon leaving Gatesville Elementary, Webb said, “I learned so many things from my time at Gatesville Elementary from curriculum to instructional strategies, how to build school structure and relationships, but mostly I believe its where I learned to be a leader.”
Gatesville ISD Superintendent, Dr. Barrett Pollard said, “Keegan was a real fixture at GISD and Gatesville Elementary. She was very high performing and well-liked by everyone. She is also becoming a presence at the state level by presenting at TEPSA and serving in different capacities in that organization. We’re really going to miss her, but it’ll be great for the Webb family to be together again in Oglesby.”
Webb’s decision to move to Oglesby ISD was made with a lot of thought and prayer from her family. “The decision to leave a place you love is difficult, and change is hard, but we are so excited for this next chapter and what God has in store for us.”
Working together as principals, Webb and Melton both share a great number of ambitions and desires. “Casey and I have a long working history when we worked side by side as principal and instructional coach in Gatesville. I am so excited to jump back in with her. She has a passion and enthusiasm that I am excited to be a part of,” Webb said.
Melton responded by saying, “Keegan and I have started our journey for the upcoming school year by collaborating and brainstorming ideas for the 2024-25 school year. With the recent administrative changes of having two campus administrators and having Keegan on board, we knew there would be tasks that would require our attention, but most of our prep so far has been geared toward the campus as a whole and our plans for building onto the great things already in place at Oglesby ISD.”
