Supt. Rees to retire in 2026

Weatherford ISD Superintendent Beau Rees welcomed teachers to the new teacher luncheon on July 31, 2023.

Randy Keck/The Community News

Rees informed the school board prior to its monthly meeting on Monday before announcing it to staff and the community the next day.

“It has been an honor to serve the students, staff and families of Weatherford ISD,” Rees wrote in a statement. “The accomplishments of the past five years are the result of great teamwork and a shared commitment to doing what’s best for kids.”

Rees has been in public education for 31 years, 23 as a superintendent. Prior to joining WISD in June 2020, Rees served as superintendent of Montgomery ISD and Graham ISD. In Weatherford, Rees committed to focusing on student success, innovation and collaboration.

“[His] leadership has been marked by integrity, vision, and a steadfast focus on students,” said Mike Guest, president of the WISD Board of Trustees. “He has led our district with care and purpose, always keeping students at the heart of every decision. The Board is deeply grateful for his service.”

Rees took over for interim superintendent Rod Townsend after Dr. Jeffrey Hanks retired in 2020.

“As I look ahead to retirement, I do so with tremendous gratitude and confidence in the continued success of the district,” Rees added.

In the coming months, trustees will begin the process to find Rees’ replacement.

During the regular session of the meeting, trustees:

• Voted to approve the 2026-2027 school calendar. After initially having six drafts, two different calendars were sent to staff and the community to vote on and the winning calendar edged out the other by six votes – 583 to 577. The now-approved calendar includes 77,560 instructional minutes, which exceeds the requirement by 1,960 minutes. It also includes a full week off for Thanksgiving and two weeks from Dec. 21, 2026 to Jan. 6, 2027. Spring Break will be from March 15, 2027 – March 23, 2027.
• Heard a campus report on Tison Middle School from principal Shane Smith and several members of the Tison staff.
• Received a program evaluation from Reid Blackwell on the district’s communication department. Blackwell, who has been Director of Communications for about five months, highlighted recent accomplishments and outlined future goals for the department.

The WISD board will meet next on Jan. 13.