Doug Loomis was officially hired as the new superintendent for the Amarillo Independent School District this week.
On Wednesday, AISD trustees voted to sign off on hiring Loomis for the position, replacing Dana West, who recently departed the district. Loomis was previously named as the sole finalist, but was opposed by some trustees, who felt the district should have searched for a candidate from outside the organization.
Trustee John Betancourt opposed the selection, saying, “We as a governing board of Amarillo ISD have failed the students and staff of the district by not looking outside our district in finding a leader who has a proven track record in improving the educational gap between our minority students while using 21 century learning. Our Focus should Early Childhood Education and to get every child in our d istrict to grade level reading by the third grade.”
Loomis’ contract will run a little over three years, with a salary of about $260,000 per year.
Photo by AISD