AMERICUS — The Sumter County Board of Education voted unanimously at its regular monthly meeting Thursday to approve the superintendent’s 2017-2018 administrative recommendations. Torrance Choates, Ed.D., recommended keeping all the principals the same at the system’s six schools, except for two. Contracts for Sharron Marcus, principal at Sumter County Middle School, and Coleman Price, principal at Americus-Sumter Ninth Grade Academy, were not renewed. The system level administration recommendations by Choates were also approved. Donald Gilman is the system’s new director of Career Tech Ag Ed/YAP coordinator. Sebrina Pitts was approved as director of special education in a 4-2 vote by the board.
Also, under personnel, the board also unanimously approved the retirements of Gail Enloe, Jan Alston, Rebecca Wishum, Gracie Patterson, and Vivian Davis; the resignations of Nancy Cochran and Brenda Jennings; the transfer of Jason Kelly; the employment of Tiffany Evans, William Justin Wells, Brenda Barnes, Margaret Levie, Nannie Hollis, Jared Lewis, and James Cutts; and long-term substitutes, Anne Calhoun Davis and John Hegadush (JROTC).
In other business, the board unanimously approved the 2017-2018 school calendar; the renewal of the Ombudsman Alternative Education contract (with a $60,000 cost reduction the first year, and a $40,000 reduction the second); and Rick Barnes as delegate to the Georgia School Board Association Delegate Assembly and Alice Green as alternate.
A policy on the use of school property and facilities was tabled for 30 days, and were procedures governing the dress code and students’ cell phone usage.
— Beth Alston