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New Llano ISD superintendent to emphasize technology, top students

New Llano Independent School District superintendent Casey Callahan joined the district last year as assistant superintendent. Staff photo by Connie Swinney

CONNIE SWINNEY • PICAYUNE STAFF

LLANO — Superintendent Casey Callahan places students and technology at the top of his list of priorities for the Llano Independent School District.“We have a goal of increasing the rigor for our advanced academic learners. We’re going to push everybody to do their very best,” said Callahan, the new top administrator for the district. “Technology is what excites our children, and allowing that to be integrated into education is a key thing.”

Staff will play an important role in utilizing technology as well.

“We’re going to try to involve more technology in our teaching as far as sharing information across the district. We would like for teachers to share information they are successful with,” he said. “We’re trying to make it more open to everybody. We can share and use technology to do that. Maybe even with other districts; share best practices.”

Of Callahan’s 13 years as an educator, he spent 10 of those years as a teacher, an assistant principal and a principal.

Before coming to Llano, the 36-year-old Mason native worked for three years at Thorndale ISD.

He joined the district last year as assistant superintendent.

His work with the previous superintendent prepared him for the challenges of leading a 3A district with 1,830 students.

“That has probably been a huge blessing for me before I took over as superintendent,” he said. “I had a fantastic individual who I followed, which is Mr. (Dennis) Hill, so I learned the district and was able to see a lot of the things that were going on.”

Hill was with the district for 31 years before accepting a position as Llano ISD special projects consultant from June through July 2014.

At the end of his tenure, he was instrumental in outlining the need for a $5.8-million bond package.

Projects include roof maintenance for the junior high, heating and air-conditioning upgrades, computers and programs, repairs to school buses, new band uniforms and resurfacing the track and tennis courts.

“We’ve had quite a bit of change in the last two years. I’ve been very excited about all of that change,” Callahan said. “The school board and staff are fantastic. They really do have the best interest of the kids at heart, and that’s all you can ask for.”

connie@thepicayune.com