Irving Elementary Principal Dr. Karen Holweg and Career and Technical Education Director Dr. Mark McClure will be taking on new assignments following school board action Monday night.

                Holweg will be returning to Cleburne High School as the campus leader, while McClure will be moving to CISD Central Offices as Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. Both will assume their new responsibilities on July 1.

Holweg has been the principal at Irving since November, following four years as an assistant principal at CHS. She is filling the vacancy created by Ben Renner’s acceptance of the principal position at Texarkana High School.

McClure, who is completing his seventh year as director of the Career and Technical Education program at Cleburne High School, is taking on the coordination of the CISD Department of Student Services following the retirement of Assistant Superintendent Tammy Bright. McClure’s first administrative post was in 2012 as an assistant principal at CHS.

He began his career in education as an agriculture science teacher in Waxahachie ISD in 2001, before coming to CHS in 2007, where he had the opportunity to teach with his father. In 2020, McClure was honored by the Career and Technical Association of Texas as Administrator of the Year.

“I’ve been doing this for seven years,” McClure said. “The best part has been the transition of our CTE program—where we were to where we are now. The beauty of my new job is that I will get to work with CTE in a new way. It’s a great program and we have a great CTE department. Whoever comes in next will have an opportunity to work with a tremendous staff.”

McClure is excited about his new opportunity to serve the students of Cleburne ISD.

“Looking way back to when I first came out of the classroom, I was afraid of being distanced in working with kids,” he said. “That wasn’t the case. In this new job, I will help even more kids—across the district—not just one classroom or campus. My desire is to help students—and help CISD become even better.”

 Holweg began her career in education in 2002 as an elementary English/language arts/reading teacher, spending nine years in classroom instruction. She moved into campus administration in 2011 as an assistant principal at Lincoln Heights Middle School in Morristown, TN. Three years later she was named the principal of Meadowview Middle School, also in Morristown, serving from 2014-2018 before joining the faculty at CHS.

In her remarks to the board of trustees, following their unanimous vote approving her for the lead position at CHS, Holweg commented on her experiences as Irving’s campus leader.

“Irving Elementary is a magical place, with incredible people,” Holweg said. “I will be forever grateful for the relationships, friendships and experiences I have gained in just a short time. Every teacher, paraprofessional, specialist, liaison and administrator on the Irving team believes in these children. They love them like their own, and I look forward to seeing great things coming from this campus. Irving has taught me that ‘greatest’ is a choice. It is a decision you must wake up and make every day for yourself—and the kids you serve. I want to thank the students and teachers for allowing me to be a part of the Tiger Family.”

                Holweg also expressed her thanks for the vote of confidence in selecting her for principal of CHS.

                “I am extremely grateful to be the next principal of Cleburne High School and am thankful for the opportunity,” she said. “I recognize the importance of the position, and the responsibility to build teacher leaders, challenge our students and develop a culture that settles for nothing less than excellence. I am excited for the future of Cleburne High School because I know a strong foundation has been established by Mr. Renner and his administrative team. I know firsthand of the passion the faculty has for their students, and I am blessed to be working with them again.”