Copperas Cove ISD hires two new principals

By BRITTANY FHOLER

Cove Leader-Press

The Copperas Cove Independent School District Board of Trustees approved the recommendation of hiring two new principals one for Williams/Ledger Elementary School and one for Martin Walker Elementary School.

With the transition of previous Williams/Ledger Elementary Principal Lori Hensley to the position of T-CLAS grant director, the district began looking for a new campus principal. After receiving applications and conducting interviews, the selection committee unanimously recommended Tracie Phillips to be the new principal. 

Phillips has been serving as the interim principal at WLE since January 2022.  She earned her associates degree from Brazosport College and her bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston, majoring in Elementary Education and minoring in reading, and earned her master’s degree in Educational Administration from Tarleton State University. 

With 33 years of experience in education, she has served as a classroom teacher from grades 1-8 and college courses and has served as an elementary, middle and high school principal, as well as an assistant superintendent and superintendent. She originally retired in 2018 before returning to doing what she loves most earlier this year. 

At Martin Walker, after Earl Parcell accepted the position of the district’s Chief Financial Officer, the search began for their new principal as well. The selection committee decided upon Breanne Turner, who has been employed with CCISD since 2012. 

Turner received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Tarleton State University and her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington. 

She has served CCISD as a classroom teacher, an interventionist for reading/math/dyslexia, a summer camp administrator, and a campus instructional coach. 

Currently, she is a district literacy coach and serves as a cohort leader for the Texas Reading Academy.