By John Balch
News-Leader staff
Pike County native Billy Lee Jr. of Delight has been selected as the interim superintendent for the Mineral Springs School District.
Lee was approved for the job during a special school board meeting Dec. 29 by a vote of 4-0. He was hired on a six-month contract per the current salary schedule.
Present for the special meeting were board members Robert Hawkins, Kay Thornton, Mike Erwin and Jaimie Jackson while Sheila Jackson, William Dixon and Dorothy Vaughn did not attend.
Lee, 57, a member of the Delight High School class of 1981, is a former Blevins School District superintendent and was one of the finalists for the superintendent’s job at the South Pike County School District.
Lee replaces Curtis Turner Jr., who was named superintendent the first time in 2013 when the State Department of Education took over the MS district. Turner served until 2017, but remained as a consultant during much of the time the new K-12 district facility was built. He was called back to the superintendent’s office in July 2019 when the board dismissed Superintendent Thelma Forte.
During the Dec. 29 meeting, the board also adopted a resolution to allow Lee’s signature to replace Turner’s signature on the district’s
bank card and Lee will join Frankie Tollett, district treasurer and Marla Williams, district bookkeeper in being able to access the school’s lock box.
Lee, who has studied at Henderson State University, Texas A&M and Southern Arkansas University, said Monday night during the school’s Southwest Arkansas Classic basketball tournament that he was honored to be selected to lead the school.
“This is a great opportunity,” Lee said. “I’m tickled to be here.”
Lee’s wife, Cindy, is currently principal for the South Pike County School District’s elementary schools in Murfreesboro and Delight.
