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Bryson, Van Hook chosen to be ‘Early College’ principals
By Stephanie Salmons
Jackson County Schools saw a flurry of staff members change positions last week after the March 18 Board of Education meeting.
After a closed session to discuss personnel matters, the board voted to hire Raylene Bryson and Beverly Van Hook as principals for the new Early College schools.
According to Superintendant Sue Nations, who spoke with The Herald March 19, the grant for the Learn and Earn Early program has not been officially announced, but officials were given the go-ahead to begin searching for principals.
Similar to dual enrollment, Learn and Earn is a five-year program that will allow students to graduate with a high school diploma and a two-year associate’s degree or college transfer credits at no cost to the students.
Jackson County will have two such schools. One will be located on the campus of Southwestern Community College and will serve students in the Smoky Mountain district, and the other will be at Blue Ridge School.
Bryson, assistant principal at Smoky Mountain High School, will be the principal at SCC while Van Hook, who is currently assistant principal at Blue Ridge, will serve in that capacity at Blue Ridge.
“I’m very excited about it,” Van Hook said. Monday. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for students with more academic opportunities.”
Bryson echoed those sentiments Tuesday.
“I think it’s a great for students in Jackson County to have this opportunity available to them,” Bryson said.
According to School finance officer Gwen Edwards both Bryson and Van Hook will have an annual salary of $54,336, which will be prorated for the remainder of the current school year, because both will begin their new jobs immediately.
The school system also made two principal transfers.
Smokey Mountain Elementary Principal Terry Clark is now heads the Jackson County School of Alternatives (also known as The Hub), while Lisa Younce, who was principal at The Hub is now the SMES principal.
According to Nations, Clark is currently on leave because of medical complications due to pregnancy. The interim principal at the Hub is Larry McDonald.
McDonald worked for Jackson County Schools from 1970 until 1983 and again from 1996 until his retirement in 1998. He is now the school system’s healthful living and safe schools coordinator for Jackson and Macon counties, duties he is maintaining while filling in for Clark.
Nations said the switch is due both to Clark’s leave and to geography – The Hub is more centrally located, which allows McDonald to serve as its principal while continuing with his other duties.
All three will remain at their current salary levels, Edwards said.
Younce, with some experience and an advanced degree, earns a yearly salary of $57,288. Clark, who holds both an advanced degree and a doctorate, earns $66,888 with $1,261 of that coming from local funds, Edwards said.
McDonald’s salary is $43,620, which is the maximum amount the state will allow because he is a retired state employee who is contracting with the two school systems.
In other administrative personnel news, Blue Ridge Principal Roy Sapaugh turned in his resignation.
In other business March 18, Child Nutrition Director Donna Bommer announced an agreement with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, effective April 1 through Sept. 30, that would pay the cost of breakfast and lunch for students who are enrolled members of the EBCI who do not qualify for free lunches.
According to Bommer, there are currently around 391 students who are enrolled members of the EBCI.
Bommer said that interested parents should complete a “Free and Reduced Price Meals Family Application” and if the families are eligible for reduced lunch or have to pay full price, then the EBCI will pick up the costs.
Parents must also complete an Indian Student Count form showing the students’ EBCI enrollment number, Bommer said Monday (March 24).
Any meals charged to this date will still be the responsibility of the family, Bommer said, as will any additional items not included with the standard meal.
The state of North Carolina already provides kindergarteners with free breakfasts, Bommer said Monday.
Also March 18:
– Sapaugh told board members he’s considering having external defibrillators placed at Blue Ridge after being approached by parents about it. A number of staff members and coaches have expressed interest in being trained to use the machines, he said.
Sapaugh said he wanted to inform school board members about the idea before approaching the school PTO with the plan.
– Nine field trips were approved. Blue Ridge School seventh-graders will be going to the Outdoor Classroom in Gee Creek, Tenn. from April 21-22 while ninth-, 10th- and 11th-graders will be attending a robotics competition in Clemson, S.C., on March 27. Cullowhee Valley School’s life skills class will be going to Balsam Lake and Lodge May 21-23, while the Fairview Elementary eighth-graders will be going to the Outer Banks May 12-16. SMES Beta Club and Student Council will be going to Gatlinburg, Tenn., June 23 and 24. Smoky Mountain High School’s Exceptional Children’s Program will go to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., on May 1-2 while the school’s Health Occupational Students of America group will go to Greensboro on April 9-12. The SMHS band’s percussion members will go to Gwinnett County, Ga., on April 26 while the whole band will go to New York April 9-13.
– Retirements approved include that of Carolyn Edwards, a teacher at SMES and Vangie Stephens, the school social worker at SMES.
Resignations approved include Lana Brooks, assistant varsity soccer coach, Julia Norman, kindergarten teacher, and Audrey Rice, assistant softball coach, all from Blue Ridge; Nina Chadwick, kindergarten teacher from Fairview, Dawn Drusin, educational interpreter from Cullowhee Valley; Andrew Maney, teacher assistant, SMHS; and Janet Miller, reading assistant at SMES.
Employee recommendation approved include Melanie Bibb and Brady Proffitt, both after school provider at Scotts Creek; Angela Goolsby, social worker and Jerry McCall, custodian, both at Blue Ridge; Tammy Hedden, child nutrition worker at SMHS; Connie Jamison, child nutrition worker, and James Johnson and Annie McCord, both, Title I part time tutors, at Cullowhee Valley; Catherine Smith and Rachel Taylor, both after school and summer camp at Fairview and Nicole Watson, child nutrition worker at Fairview.
Keri Carpenter, Brianne Hailey and Candice Medlin, all interns from Western Carolina University were approved to be substitute teachers.
Jeremy Ellenburg was approved to be a school/activity bus driver at Fairview while Adam Holt was approved for the same position at Cullowhee Valley. William Jones was approved to be a school bus driver at Cullowhee Valley.
Non-staff coaches approved include Ashton Bennett and Jesse Ramierel, both assistant track coaches at Fairview.
It was also announced that Tina McDonald is a volunteer track coach at SMHS. That did not require board action.
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