Lance D. Bolen has been named the new principal of Eupora High School effective July 1.
Superintendent Brian Jones recommended his hiring at a special meeting of the Webster County School Board on May 7, minutes show. Bolen succeeds Laci Knight, who is transferring to the position of Alternative School position.
Bolen, 41, comes from the Pascagoula-Gautier School District in Jackson County, where he has served as the director of transportation for two years. He is completing his 19th year in education.
Before joining PGSD, he had educational administration experience as a principal, assistant principal and career-technical director, according to the district’s website.
Bolen has a bachelor of arts from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a master’s in education and an education specialist degree in educational leadership from Florida’s Argosy University-Sarasota. The Lucedale native lives in Agricola in George County, according to his Facebook page. He and his wife have two children.
Also at the special meeting, the board approved principal salaries for 2018-19 and the hiring of Ashley Allen as a teacher at Eupora Elementary School effective July 1.
Rana Mitchell (District 2), Jimmy Hood (District 3) and Bobby McMullen (District 1) were present May 7. The board recessed until May 14.
Security guards
The School Board voted April 16 to approve a contract submitted by TBL Security Services of Starkville for providing armed security guards for each of the school campuses for the remainder of the school year.
This was based upon the legal opinion of board attorney Hugh Gibson and as recommended by Jones, the minutes reflect. The board had approved Jones’ April 2 request to obtain quotes from private security services for armed officers at each school campus for the remainder of the school year, which ends Friday for students.
TBL Security was one of two companies presenting quotes to the board, which took them under advisement April 9. The decision to hire armed officers apparently stemmed, at least in part, from a March 28 shooting near the Eupora High School band hall. Authorities said a person on a dirt bike fired multiple shots from a handgun while on West Clark Street; no one was hit. Cole Breazeale, 19, was subsequently charged with drive-by shooting in the incident.
Other business
Additionally on April 16, minutes show the board:
• Approved certified staff and classified staff recommendations for the 2018-19 school year.
• Approved bus driver and substitute bus driver recommendations for 2018-19.
• Approved secretary, maintenance/bus shop, bus driver and coaching supplement pay scales for 2018-19.
• Approved the MAEP teacher pay scale for 2018-19.
• Approved a recommendation from Jones that only five summer workers be hired this year — one for each school campus and one to split time with the Career and Technology Center and the bus shop.
• Approved a recommendation from Special Education Director Gina Sanders that Jean Davis, Jeremy O’Neal and Jordan Spencer be approved to conduct independent education evaluations as needed for the current and upcoming school years.
• Approved the 2018 Special Education Extended School Year application.
• Accepted a letter of resignation from Danya Turner from his duties as Alternative School director and EHS assistant principal effective June 29.
• Approved the dismissal of William Shaw from his duties as a bus driver effective April 16 based upon a personnel action form and supporting documentation from Transportation Director Michael Adkins.
• approved recommendations from Eupora High School’s Knight and Principal Jim Ray of East Webster High School to hire Christie C. Stroud and Beth Thompson as teachers effective Aug. 1.
• approved a recommendation from Ray to hire Angie Blake as a half-time librarian at EWHS beginning Aug. 2.
• approved the assistant teacher pay scale with some revisions after discussion.
Hood, Scott Hollenhead (District 4), Milton Davis (District 5) and McMullen were present April 16.
