Superintendent Teresa Russell

It wasn’t the first order of business, but the last. Superintendent of Schools Teresa Russell read a letter resigning from her position effective June 30, 2017, although her contract does not expire until June 2018, After thanking the board for their support and for all the roles she has filled while working for Haywood County Schools for 23 years, she said that she felt “that this is no longer the season for me to serve in this capacity” (superintendent of schools). Mrs. Russell said she will “ … work to make this transition as seamless as possible and will always have Haywood County Schools in my best interest.”

All board members voted to accept her letter of resignation except for Harrison Jones.

In other business, board members approved three mini-grant technology awards at the meeting. Sharon Clark at East Side will be buying a green screen for her students, HHS Librarian Julie Dahlhauser will purchase some digital magazine subscriptions, and Sam Pyron at Haywood Middle School will be buying a AcuRite Color Weather Station for his students.

Board members also approved two out-of-state travel requests for HHS teachers. Several members of DECA, the club for the business department, will be attending an International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California, later in April, and HHS AFJROTC Advisor Lt. Col Myron Stamps will take five cadets to a summer leadership course in Huntsville, Alabama.

The board officially changed Policy #1.400 to read that school board meetings will be held on the 2nd Thursday of each month instead of Tuesdays.

They also approved several textbook adoptions and agreed to give $2,000 scholarships from the Catherine Colhoun Scholarship fund to six graduating HHS seniors. Board members Allen Currie, Harrison Jones, and Olivia Farrington serve on the selection committee for these scholarships.

Mrs. Russell told board members that they would be attending the County Commission Monday night because the school’s Trane project is on the agenda. This is the project that will study the utility costs for the schools and determine if the county should approve updating all of the necessary equipment for the purpose of utility savings for the school system.

The board will meet in Jackson on Tuesday at the Double Tree for their annual board retreat, then come back to Brownsville to continue discussions about some of the things on the agenda. Among the items they will discuss will be planning the schedule necessary to replace Mrs. Russell as superintendent. Their goal is to hire someone before she leaves on June 30 so that she can work with them before she leaves.