Anthony Sims named Sparks principal

Anthony Sims, who has served as Head of School at Calhoun Middle School for the past 11 years, has been named the principal of the Sparks Campus. He first came to Denton ISD in 1992 where he worked in the district's alternative education programs.

Mr. Sims was the first teacher to be placed in charge of the Post-Expulsion Placement Class for secondary students at Fred Moore High School in the early 1990s. This was a class for students expelled from school for disciplinary reasons. The class has since been replaced with the Sparks Campus and Touchstone Academy.

Prior to being named principal at Calhoun, he was assistant principal at that school for four years. He also was a science, English and resource teacher and also football coach at Denton High for three years.

“In my experiences with Mr. Sims, he has always been a hard worker, diligent and most of all, he wants what's best for the kids of Denton. He has a strong background in working with at-risk students and requested that he be considered for this position,” said Superintendent Ray Braswell.

Under his leadership at Calhoun, the school was named an International Baccalaureate School for the Middle School program four years ago. It is one of less than 100 middle schools in Texas named an IB school. Calhoun has added a new fine arts wing, sixth-grade building, a wellness center and renovated the main building, which was built in 1925. The school was dedicated in 2010 as a historical building by the Denton County Historical Commission and received a state historical marker.

He has also served as a pastor in Breckenridge, Albany, Lubbock, Fort Worth and Denton and substitute taught at area schools.

Mr. Sims has his bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in economics from Howard Payne University and his master's degree in administration from Texas Woman's University.