BY ANDY TAYLOR
Montgomery County Chronicle

CANEY — A former Caney Valley Jr.-Sr. High School instructor and coach will return to the local school hallways as the school’s principal.

Bill Ellis, who served as an English instructor and coach at USD 436 from 1990 to 2005, was unanimously hired by the USD 436 Board of Education on Monday to be the school’s principal for grades nine through 12. He replaces Justin Lockwood, who was reassigned to another administrative post in June.

Ellis will return to CVHS after having spent the past two years as assistant principal at Bartlesville Mid-High School, which serves ninth and 10th grades. He also spent two years as the high school principal in Herington, Kan.

“It’ll be good to get back to Caney,” said Ellis in a telephone interview following Monday’s board meeting. “This was something I have always been wishing for.”

The board agreed to divide the principal duties between the current head principal and assistant principal positions so that Ellis will serve as principal for grades nine through 12 while Ron Oyler, who was the vice principal, will serve as principal for grades seven and eight as well as the new Caney Valley Charter School Academy.

Ellis and his wife, Lisa, continue to reside in rural Caney. They have three grown children, all of whom graduated from Caney Valley Jr.-Sr. High School.