- The Bonham ISD has announced that James Branam has been named the next principal at Bonham High School. Branam has been principal at Celeste High School for seven years. Previously, Branam had been an elementary school assistant principal and then principal in Anna. He also worked as a math and science teacher and coach in the Bells ISD. Branam is pursuing a doctorate at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Also in Bonham, Phillip Lentz has been named the new principal at Rather Junior High School. Lentz has been a middle school principal in Blue Ridge since 2017. Lentz has been an administrator as well as an instructor in the Midland, Odessa, Lovejoy and Grapevine-Colleyville school districts. Lentz also specializes in professional development and has served as a consultant as well as a speaker for Texas educators.
- In Lamar County, the Paris News reports that Justiss Elementary School assistant principal Kendra Beshirs will be the new principal at the Givens Early Childhood Center. The move fills a vacancy left by the resignation of principal Sheila Ensey, who has taken a position in Detroit. Beshirs has been at Justiss Elementary 19 years, first as a special education teacher, then as an academic coach, and then in 2015 Beshirs was named assistant principal. Beshirs has a bachelor’s in social work and a master’s in educational administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce. The Paris News reports Beshirs was one of three finalists from a pool of eight applicants.
