BELLS, TX -- A vote by the school board has some residents upset, after they decided against keeping their superintendent for another year in a closely split vote.
Resident Jeff Dane says his two kids graduated from school here, and his wife teaches at the elementary school. When he heard about the vote, he was upset.
"He was just a motivating factor for everything that went on with their life and with all the student's lives in the district, so I thought there had to be a reason," says Dane. "When I questioned the reason, I was told that there really is no reason and that's just not good enough for me."
At last Monday's meeting, school trustees voted 4-3 against extending superintendent Joe Moore's contract for another year until June 2015.
"My wife, her little kids in pre-K weren't able to participate in their playground because everyone was bigger. We addressed that problem with Joe Moore. Joe Moore said let's build another playground for the little kids, and they did," says Dane.
Moore says his current contract runs through next June and that the board members did not give any reason for their vote, but he plans to talk with them at a regular monthly meeting.
"We've got excellent schools here. That's one reason why people will move to Bells, there ain't much else here other than the schools," says resident Bill Jenkins.
"I want Joe Moore to stay there as long as he can," says resident Martha Atchley.
Moore started with the district as an agriculture teacher in 1985, before being named superintendent 10 years ago. Moore says Bells currently has more than 700 students.
Dane says he plans to get the word out about the board's vote, and try to rally parents' support at the next meeting on Feburary 18 at 5:45 p.m. for a man he respects. "He's just a good hometown guy. He was raised here raised his kids here, worked for the district for 28 years," says Dane.
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