After 10 years as Canyon ISD superintendent, Mike Wartes announced his Aug. 31 retirement at the Dec. 15 board meeting.

Wartes has overseen many changes including the opening of four new schools and a 20 percent increase in the number of students in the district. Wartes began his career with CISD as the head football coach and athletic director at Canyon High School.

“I worked at Canyon High School when it was the only high school in the district, from 1986 to 1987,” Wartes said. “It was located at the current junior high. When they built Randall in 1988, they wanted to have a separate athletic director for both schools, so I took that job.”

Wartes said he enjoyed being a part of students’ lives by assisting them and helping them develop.

“To see young men mature and develop through their different stages in high school is very gratifying,” Wartes said. “I also enjoyed the camaraderie of the coaching staff. You are with those guys every day, all year, and you become a tightknit group of people. They become more like family. Some of my best friends today are those guys I coached with 30 years ago.”

Dave Corley was the principal of Canyon High at that time. Wartes said that he valued his relationship with Corley and others.

“He was a great guy and a wonderful to work for,” Wartes said. “It’s all about relationships with people. We had great people then and we have them now. It makes it enjoyable to be part of an organization when you have such high quality individuals.”

Wartes said he is proud of the district’s emphasis on providing a balanced education in addition to strong academics.

“Businesses are telling us what they need are people that know how to function as a team,” Wartes said. “I think we do a good job developing that skill. We have to continue to encourage students to have a desire to be involved in several things. When you have that skill set, you have a leg up on the competition. I think our students are fortunate to be able to attend a school district that values those things.”