Staff Writer

The Pike County Board of Education approved personnel changes for the 2001-2002 school year during the meeting Thursday night.

The board approved the hiring of seven new teachers for the Pike County School system while accepting the resignations of three.

At Pike County Elementary School, the board approved the employment of Leigh Ann Richburg as special education teacher, Shantell Rouse as Third Grade teacher, and Billy Taylor as janitor. Richburg was brought in to replace PCES special education teacher Kim Faulkner who voluntarily transferred to Goshen Elementary School.

At Pike County High School the board approved the hiring of Richard Shaw as the health/physical education teacher and Connie Campbell as junior high reading teacher.

The board approved the employment of James Pair as English teacher at Goshen High School.

The board also approved the hiring of Sharon Dean as fifth grade teacher at Banks Middle School, and Michelle Taylor as second grade teacher at Banks Primary School.

Resignations excepted were: Jean Anne Branum from PCES, Julie Spires form PCHS and Christy Hall from PCHS.

Alice Hudley was also hired for approximately three weeks to train the new bookkeeper at PCHS and approved central office and local school eleven and twelve-months personnel for the 2001-2002 year.

In other business the board

· Considered the interdistrict transfer of three students. The board approved the transfer of a student form the Bullock County school system to the Pike County School system pending the approval of the Bullock county board of education.

The board declined to allow a fifth grade PCES student to transfer to the Troy City School system. The transfer was requested because of the college prep course available in the Troy City School System, but Superintendent John Key said that both Goshen and Brundidge offer similar courses.

The board approved the transfer of a first grade banks student on the majority/minority rule, in which a student may transfer from a school in which they are in the majority race to one where they are in the minority.

· Accepted bids on gasoline and diesel fuel.

· Heard a report on the status of minority hiring.

· Approved Mark Dunning Industries for garage services to the schools.

· Approved a change in dates for budget hearings for the 2001-2002 school year.

· Approved contracted services with Tim Price, a licensed counselor, to work with students one day per week in 2001-2002, with expenses to be paid from Title IV and Title VI funds.