DCSS BOE replacing six elementary school principals for 2016-17 school year
In a surprise move, the Dougherty County School Board replaced six elementary school principals at its monthly board meeting Monday night. The changes will take effect at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year.
By Terry Lewis
ALBANY — In a surprise move, the Dougherty County School Board replaced six elementary school principals at its monthly board meeting Monday night. The changes will take effect at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year.
The changes were:
— Katina Allen, currently an assistant principal at Northside Elementary will replace Todd Deariso as school principal.
— Deariso will replace Ellen Lane, who is retiring, as the new principal at Lincoln Magnet Elementary School.
— Melissa Brubaker, currently an assistant principal at Southside Middle, will replace Gail Solomon as principal at Alice Coachman Elementary.
— John I Davis III, currently an assistant principal at International Studies Elementary Charter School, will replace Brian Simon as the new principal at Jackson Heights Elementary School.
— Yvette Simmons, currently an assistant principal at Sherwood Acres Elementary, will replace Brent Fowler as principal at Sherwood.
— Solomon will replace Gloria Kendall as the director of Sylvandale Pre-K.
“This might be a surprise to some, but we’ve been kicking it around for the past three weeks,” DCSS Superintendent Butch Mosely said. “We have been disappointed in the lack of performance at several of our elementary schools. We are excited with this new crop of principals because this is a group we think can help us move the needle forward for this school system.”
The DCSS on Tuesday issued a statement in regard to the replacement of Lane at Lincoln Elementary Magnet, adding Lincoln is not an under-performing school.
“Deariso will replace retiring principal Ellen Lane, who has served as the principal of Lincoln, one of the DCSS’s top-performing elementary schools, since 2013,” the statement read. “Under her watch, Lincoln has continually increased student achievement and stayed among the top schools in Dougherty County. In 2014, Lincoln’s College and Career Readiness Performance Index score, 90, was second only to Lake Park Elementary School. That same year, Lincoln received four stars from the CCRPI’s School Climate Star Rating system, the highest in the DCSS.
In other action, the Board approved a bid from Tri-Mark Strategic of Albany for $1,171,127.67 to replace outdated kitchen equipment in 20 of the system’s 24 schools.
The equipment ranges from items such as solid table tops, hot food tables, milk coolers, and pass through refrigerators and varies by the needs of the school.
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