Bellar to retire as super

Clarendon CISD Superintendent Jarod Bellar will retire this summer after six and half years with the school.

Bellar told the Enterprise this week that he will step down June 30 at the end of his current contract and take a new position in Kansas.

After 31 years in education in Texas, Bellar said the opportunity to go to Kansas came when the new superintendent in Liberal reached out to him.

“I’ve always looked to retire eventually and then continue in another state, but Kansas wasn’t on my radar,” Bellar said.

Bellar will be the new Assistant Superintendent of School Leadership & Support at Liberal, which has a student population of about 5,000.

Bellar’s wife, Jennifer, will remain in Clarendon. He said she still has some years of service ahead of her before she can retire in Texas, and also the couple’s daughter will be marrying this fall.

Clarendon represents a full circle for the Bellars with Mr. Bellar starting his career as a coach and teacher here in the 1990s. He later returned in January 2019 to take the position of superintendent.