OISD Names Dr. Caffey as Supt
The Olney Independent School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously on April 28 to name Olney High School Principal Dr. Matt Caffey as the district’s next superintendent, setting the stage for a smooth leadership transition when longtime superintendent Dr. Greg Roach retires in June.
Dr. Caffey was selected from a pool of about two dozen applicants, according to board president Summer Branum. Trustees ultimately chose Dr. Caffey because of his deep knowledge of the district and his clear passion for leading it into the future.
“He had plenty of experience at the administrative level,” she said. “We couldn’t replace his knowledge of the district. He has such a passion for this specific town. He knows all of our goals.”
In an interview following the vote, Dr. Caffey said the district would stay the course on many of its current initiatives, while placing renewed emphasis on athletics, academic achievement, and community communication.
“We’re going to continue doing the things we’ve been doing,” he said. “But we also need to do a better job of telling our story. I think a lot of times there are doubts about what we’re doing because we’re not telling people.”
Dr. Caffey praised the com- munity energy around local sports and said the district wants to build on that momentum. “We had some wins last year—we want the community to come out,” he said. “Coach [Eric] Symank did a great job getting people excited [for his teams], and we need to take a page out of his book.”
On the academic front, Dr. Caffey acknowledged the disappointment over the district not receiving an A rating under the Texas Education Agency’s revised school grading system, but said he intends to raise the bar.
“I’m not going to tell you it doesn’t matter. We’re not happy about not getting our A,” he said. “TEA moved the goalposts, but we’re not going to just say, ‘Oh well.’ We’re going to get our A. We’re going to make adjustments— we’ve done some of that—and there are still things we need to do.”
Dr. Caffey said he doesn’t expect the newly signed state school voucher bill to cause a significant shift in enrollment at Olney ISD, though he opposes the legislation.
“That’s a political game they play in Austin and it doesn’t change what we do,” he said. “Do I think the voucher bill is a good thing? No. But I won’t make any excuses about what we can accomplish because they passed a voucher bill.”
Dr. Caffey expressed excitement about expanding Advanced Placement courses and maintaining the district’s dual credit partnership with Angelo State University. He also highlighted the district’s new medical track program, which aims to provide students with industry-recognized certifications such as medical assistant credentials— an important step for students pursuing immediate careers after graduation.
“That’s really where we need to put a little more energy,” Caffey said. “We want to make sure we are getting those certifications in place for our kids.”
The transition to the superintendent role comes as OISD prepares to begin construction on its $8.5 million storm shelter project. Dr. Caffey said he is grateful that Dr. Roach will remain on in an emeritus capacity to help navigate the complexities of school construction.
“There’s a whole world of things I’ve been involved with as a principal, but I haven’t been in charge of—and that’s a different animal,” he said.
Dr. Caffey has not yet announced who will replace him as Olney High School principal.
During his tenure, Dr. Roach guided Olney ISD through major improvements to the campus and programs. He presided over remodeling of the junior high school and high school buildings and the construction of a new vocational facility.
He implemented new academic and vocational programs such as a machining/ manufacturing program in partnership with Tower Fabrication and Tower Extrusion, and broadened students’ ability to earn college credit in dual credit classes.
He saw the district through the COVID-19 pandemic, switching the campuses to remote learning in 2020, and strengthened campus security in the wake of the 2022 Uvalde school shootings.
U.S. News & World Report ranked Olney High School as one of the nation’s top high schools – 290 in Texas and 3,351 nationwide - far above schools of all sizes in the Region 9 service area.