Following discussions about possibly removing the superintendent from the district hiring process, the Montgomery ISD board of trustees has opted in favor of leaving its current district hiring policy in place. The board unanimously voted Sept. 18 to retain contract authority with the elected seven-person board. The notion to change the policy was brought to the board’s attention in the summer, partially to address inefficiencies in the hiring system, Superintendent Beau Rees said. Although board members are not required to sit in on every candidate’s interview, they still make final recommendations, he said. “We hired 91 teachers between May and the first of September,” Rees said. “It [is] impossible to know all the people we hire.” The item was tabled for further discussion but brought back on the Sept. 18 agenda. Board members voiced their support of retaining final authority to offer contracts in the district. Board member Matt Fuller said according to the Texas Association of School Boards, only 18 schools in the state have a hiring process that does not include the school superintendent. Fuller also said residents in Montgomery ISD were largely in favor of retaining the current hiring practices. “Not a single person in our community has said that they are in favor of [changing the policy],” he said. Board member Linda Porten said the district should still consider revisiting its hiring system for further improvements. “I think we need to look at our hiring process, because I’ve had a lot of complaints that people didn’t get a call back or affirmation that their application was received,” she said. “It’s just courtesy.”