Lincoln County School Board names Jacob Sorrells director of schools, agrees to handle contract talks as full board

The Lincoln County School Board voted 5-3 on Jan. 6, 2025, to appoint Jacob Sorrells as the next director of schools.

Board members said the decision followed a public search in which citizens emphasized leadership, K-12 experience and commitment to the county. "When we began to search for this new director of schools, there were a number of qualifications that the citizens of Lincoln County expressed that were very important to them," said Dr. Daniel, a school board member, praising applicants and outlining the qualifications the board should consider.

In a roll-call vote, Mr. Miller, Miss Tallman, Dr. Daniel, Miss Ashby and Mr. Phelps voted yes; Mr. Dunn, Mr. Stevenson and Mr. Tucker voted no, producing a 5-3 majority in favor of the appointment. The motion to nominate "mister Sorrells, Jacob Sorrells to be the next director of schools" was seconded by Mr. Miller.

Earlier in the meeting the chair initially appointed a three-member committee — naming Dr. Daniel to chair the committee with Miss Ashby and Mr. Miller — to handle contract negotiations with the incoming director in consultation with Mr. Cagle, the school board attorney. A board member then moved that the entire board serve as the negotiation committee. That motion was seconded and carried by voice vote; the board recorded the decision as "carried" without a roll-call tally.

There was no public comment at the Jan. 6 special meeting. The board discussed scheduling for the negotiation and noted that meeting dates would be set with seven days' public notice, to be arranged at the next regular meeting.

The board did not specify details of Sorrells's contract, including salary, term length or effective date, during the meeting. The appointment is limited to the action stated at the meeting; any contract terms will be negotiated and reported at a later date.