Teachers hired, coach resignation accepted

GENTRY -- The Gentry School Board hired three new teachers and accepted the resignation of a teacher and coach.

In regular session on Aug. 18, the board accepted the resignation of Mason Pinkley as Gentry Middle School teacher and coach. Pinkley won't be replaced in the current school year. His coaching duties for junior high football have been reassigned to Daniel Ramsey, who was given a stipend to be head football coach for the junior high team.

Teachers hired by the board include Austin Wise to teach high school English, Alexander Reyes to teach art at the intermediate school and Shelly McGee as a fourth grade teacher at the intermediate school.

The board rescinded contract offers to Matt Wood to teach high school English, Lynn Glass to serve as night custodian at the intermediate school and Linda Horton as a special education teacher because circumstances made those offered contracts unable to fulfill them.

Also hired were Rhonda Harper as a special education aide at the primary school and Betty Coker as a custodian at the intermediate school.

Two days were added to the contract of Kathy Pipkin, counselor at the high school. Melissa Bond was transferred as an aide from the primary school to the middle school, and Robert Savage was transferred from his position as bus driver to being a special education aide at the middle school.

Following the approval of the above personnel changes, the board entered into a brief executive session regarding personnel matters -- at first without Superintendent Randy Barrett and then inviting him back in. No action was taken following the closed session, nor was any indication given of matters addressed in the closed meeting.