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Haywood County Schools confirms personnel slate and introduces new principals, supervisors and assistants
Summary
The board approved personnel actions including employments, status changes and coaching assignments and heard introductions from newly promoted and hired leaders, including Carly Wells as elementary supervisor and Jacob Shelton as Clyde Elementary principal.
The Haywood County Schools Board of Education approved a large personnel slate and formally introduced multiple newly appointed principals, supervisors and assistant principals during the board meeting.
Why it matters: The staffing approvals and introductions set school leadership for the coming year, affecting school operations, instructional leadership and community relationships.
District Human Resources presented personnel items for information and approval. For information, the board received nine separations from employment, 14 employee status changes and one leave of absence. For approval, the slate included 22 employments, 236 employee status changes, three contracted services, 12 staff coaches (one pulled for separate vote), nine non-staff coaches and two volunteer coaches.
The full personnel package — with the exception of staff coach item No. 4 — was approved on a motion by Mr. Burnett, seconded by Mr. Rogers, and carried unanimously. The separately considered staff coach item was approved in a later vote by an 8–1 margin.
Following approvals, district leadership introduced several new or newly promoted administrators and allowed brief remarks. Carly Wells was introduced as the district’s new elementary supervisor; Wells told the board she believes “education is power. It's freedom. It's hope.” Wells described education as “the very heartbeat” of the community and pledged to lead with purpose and service.
Jacob Shelton was introduced as the new principal at Clyde Elementary. Shelton said he will focus on gratitude, intentionality and a student-first approach and that “everything we do as a school will be targeted at what is best for our kids.”
Stephanie Benson was introduced as the new career-and-technical-education (CTE) director; Benson thanked the board for the opportunity to work with CTE teachers and students and described leaving Meadowbrook Elementary after 11½ years as “bittersweet.”
Leslie Buchanan was introduced as Meadowbrook Elementary’s next principal and told the board she looks forward to “listening, learning, and leading with integrity and purpose.”
Other introduced administrators included Meredith Parker, named assistant principal at Clyde Elementary; Kiffin Queen, assistant principal for the intensive-intervention community at Clyde Elementary (Queen was not present and will be formally recognized in August); and Austin Sleeter, named assistant principal at Waynesville Middle School. Several speakers praised Haywood County Schools’ Aspiring Administrator Academy as a development pipeline.
Board members and district leadership thanked departing and promoted staff and welcomed the new leaders. The personnel votes and introductions were recorded in the board minutes; most actions carried unanimously with one 8–1 vote on a staff-coach item.
