By Louie Graves
News-Leader staff
At the end of an executive session lasting an hour and 40 minutes, Monday night, the Mineral Springs School Board approved personnel hirings including filling the vacancy of high school principal.
The new principal will be Clint Jones, now an assistant principal at North Heights Junior High School in Texarkana. Jones, his wife and their three sons attended Monday night’s meeting held in the Saratoga school library.
The board approved several new hires; approved some reassignments; renewed contracts for the coming year; and accepted some resignations.
Supt. Thelma Forte told the board that the school EAST program had won the state’s top leadership award. She said that members of the graduating class had already secured about a half million dollars in scholarships.
The board approved retention bonuses for certified and classified personnel. Construction boss Lodie Dixon said that progress on the new school was on schedule and that he still anticipated a November completion. Interior painting is underway, he said.
The board approved a three percent raise for former Supt. Curtis Turner who is serving in a consultant role during the construction project.
Board chairman William Dixon presided at the meeting. Board members Ray Hawkins, Zemeria Newton, Dorothy Vaughn, Mike Erwin and Sheila Jackson attended.
