by Samantha Sinclair
White County News
White County Schools will be looking for a few new leaders to fill big shoes in the district.
At a called meeting Thursday morning, the White County Board of Education approved the retirements of Tesnatee Gap Principal Octavius Mulligan and Warrior Academy Director Shelly McDonald. The board also decided to transfer Mt. Yonah Principal Jill Baughman to the central office to serve as the director of federal and state programs.
All three will continue serving in their current roles through the end of the school year.
Superintendent Laurie Burkett said advertisements to fill the positions will be posted for two weeks starting Friday, Feb. 24, allowing Mulligan, Baughman and McDonald time to tell their staff the news themselves.
Because White County is a charter school system, the governing councils for Tesnatee Gap and Mt. Yonah elementary schools will choose their next principal.
Burkett said Central Office staff will meet with each team to learn what they want in a principal, then work with them to craft questions to determine which candidate best meets their needs.
Candidates will be screened at the Central Office prior to the interview process with the governing councils.
As Warrior Academy doesn’t have governing council since it falls under the Student Services department, Student Services Director MaryKay Berry will be in charge of the search for the new director of the academy.
Burkett said it will be tough to replace all three due to the high standards they’ve set through their dedication and actions over the years.
Look for more details in the March 2 edition of the White County News.