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While the kids are on summer break, the Chambers County School Board still has work to do. At the Thursday board meeting the group discussed personnel changes ahead of the next school year.

Changes to staff are common during the summer, as teachers take new positions or retire. The county has not seen much of a difference in the amount of turnover this year, however, there were some big changes. 

One of the changes was the former principal of Inspire Academy, Troy Kelley, being hired to be Valley High School’s principal. It was announced on May 21, that Kelley had been hired for the VHS job. 

“We voted to approve Mr. Kelly as our principal at the last board meeting,” said Dr. Casey Chambley, CCSD Superintendent. “He had lots of experience over 16 years as a principal. Mr. Kelly was the number one candidate out of all of the candidates that were interviewed.”

An agenda item up for discussion at Thursday’s meeting was a change in Kelley’s new contract. The item recommended would release Kelley from the 2-year probationary contract and offer a 3-year non-probationary contract instead. He has already served one of the years, the next school year would be Kelley’s second probationary year. 

“At Valley, there are things that are going to take some time to fix and amend. And so I felt that it was appropriate to offer Mr. Kelly a three-year contract and give him some stability…a three-year non-probationary contract like we would any other principal that came to us from any other district with his years of experience as a principal,” Chambley said. 

Chambley added that he was originally on a probationary period because he had not been a principal within the Chambers County School District before Inspire Academy. However, he did have experience as a principal before IA. 

The item did not carry due to two board members, Candace Lyon and laShea Herring, opposing the recommendation.

“I just feel like we should wait until the next administration,” said Lyon of the decision. 

Chambley’s term as Superintendent and Jeffery Finch’s term as a school board member will finish at the end of the calendar year. The new administration will be decided during the November elections.  

Herring said she did not want to comment at this time on the reason for opposing the item.

Chambley said at this time Kelley will remain on the probationary contract unless another motion is brought up.