Dr. Bill Tommaney is an athletic and spirited principal. He played football throughout high school and at Texas Christian University, where he earned undergraduate and graduate degrees and a Ph.D. in Education Administration from Texas A&M University. He has served in school administration since 1996, most recently as associate principal at Montgomery High School and Lake Creek High School in Montgomery ISD. Dr. Tommaney spoke about everything from the value of collegiate athletics to the new change in IDs at WHS.
Q: What are your thoughts on Weatherford ISD so far?
A: “An excellent first impression. Weatherford is a great community with a great student body. There’s a lot of pride here.”
Q: What brought you to WHS?
A: “I think it was a combination of knowing Dr. Reis, the superintendent currently at Weatherford ISD, whom I worked with in Montgomery. Also, the opportunity to move back this way and be closer to Fort Worth and close to my high school and college friends was just a huge blessing. My brother passed away this past March and was living in Houston with me. The timing was just perfect for the opportunity to come up here. I do love being a part of a high school and hopefully being a part of impacting students in a positive way. This all really felt like a God deal the way it worked out.”
Q: You were a college athlete at TCU. What was that experience like, and how did it shape you?
A: “One of the great things about college is that you meet such a diverse group of folks, and I think my education at TCU was unique and different from a so-called traditional student at TCU because, as a member of the football team, I had folks from all over the state of Texas and from other parts of the country. Some of those students, like myself, would not have enrolled at TCU because of the cost. I met students from wealthy backgrounds and students who would attend college only on scholarship. Athletics is a great window into a school and the opportunities it provides.”
Q: You consider that your biggest takeaway as a student-athlete?
A: “The thing I take away more than anything are the friendships I developed. My best friends today are the people I played with at TCU.”
Q: In 2011, while at Lake Creek High School, you helped create “The Three Cs,” Champions Competing with Class. What does that mean, and is it something you talk about here at WHS?
A: “I am very passionate, and I want to win. I did triathlons for 20 years. I love getting on my bike and passing people, getting off my bike, and running as hard as possible. It’s a real high to compete at that level. But it’s important to do it the right way. I was joking with Coach Morrison, our volleyball coach, that we want to dominate with class. We want to win the game. We want to beat the opponents but show dignity and respect. Class is something we all want to aspire to. It says everything about us as individuals and how we present ourselves. How we compete, how we present ourselves on the court and off the court. If the volleyball team goes out there and gives everything they have and does it with class and respect for themselves, their coach, the referees, and their opponents, that says everything about them. I will want to support them one thousand percent. I can handle getting beat; we need to handle it correctly.”
Q: How do you feel about how Weatherford and other schools present themselves at games?
A: “I’ve never worked at a school where there aren’t some students who enjoy the heckling and singling out of people. It’s just part of the teenage years. Although I won’t kid you, adults do it, too. My dad was one of those fans who loved to yell at referees and things like that. My TCU football coach was Jim Wacker, and he wrote this positive statement. It’s about what class looks like, what class means, and how we treat others. Class is the little things in life, like if you are a visiting team and the guest there. Do you leave the locker room in good shape when you leave? Do you say thank you to the staff at the hotel you stayed? All those little things in life. How do we treat others not just on the court but as we conduct ourselves as individuals. I will not say anything negative about Weatherford because I have seen such spirit from our students. The Roo Crew has really stepped up and represents us well. And not just the Roo Crew. Our cheerleaders, our band, our color guard.”
Q: How do you think the students, staff, and even yourself, have reacted to some of the new procedures that have been put in place at WHS?
A: “We have implemented some changes that might not be popular with students, and that worries me because I want this to be a positive experience for all students and the faculty and staff.”
Q: Where did these new policies, like no hats and wearing ID badges, come from in the first place?
A: “It is a district initiative, and it will be interesting to see how many districts in the state of Texas or how many schools have had to implement ID requirements. Many schools have already had an ID requirement in place. But what happened in our country and just recently with the Uvalde school district, when those things happen, it hits home and forces school districts to say, what are more measures we can have in place to try and improve safety and security.”
Q: What purpose do lanyards and not wearing hats serve?
A: “It’s not that lanyards guarantee anybody’s safety and security. But it is another layer to help raise the overall safety and security of the school. Hat is a combination of dress code expectations but also a safety and security thing.”
Q: What do you consider your major challenge here at WHS?
A: “I sometimes joke that my job is to be Dr. Joykill and that no one can have fun at any time. That is not our intent. Our intent is for you and me, and everyone to be as safe and secure as possible. I don’t want students to be resentful toward the administration or me. I’ve tried to over-communicate and get buy-in from students, parents, and staff to work through this. Change is difficult, but I ask people to consider the bigger purpose here.”