DCSS Board approves retirement of interim curriculum director

ALBANY, Ga. — The Dougherty County Board of Education accepted the retirement of Interim Director of Curriculum Merita Jones at its monthly meeting Monday night.

Jones, who has 40 years in the system, will retire effective Nov. 30.

During the Board’s pre-briefing, Supt. Joshua Murfree also informed the members that new Human Resources Director Farrell Young of North Carolina, has said he will be able to assume his new position on Oct. 29.

Murfree also addressed a state Department of Education (GaDOE) letter in regard to the DOE setting a timetable for the District to hire a permanent principal at Albany High.

The school has not had a permanent principal in the past eight months since the Board suspended Angela Schumate after she was ensnared in the CRCT investigation.

The Georgia DOE letter set several deadlines for the system, requiring the District to hire a principal by Oct. 29.

“I’ll be on the phone with Atlanta in the morning, to let them know I am ready to make a recommendation.” Murfree said.

System attorney Tommy Coleman advised Murfree to follow the guidelines set out by the letter.

“Remember, they are the ones with the money,” Coleman warned. “If you don’t follow the letter they won’t give us the money.”

In other business, Murfree confirmed that former Morningside principal Gloria Baker, who is awaiting trial on school lunch fraud charges, has been reassigned as assistant principal of the South Georgia Regional Achievement Center.

He also confirmed that the system will return to the state $95,000 in Race to the Top funds from FY2012 because the money, intended to pay for transportation costs, was never spent.

The Board will hold a called meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday in executive session to discuss Murfree’s contract status. That meeting is closed to the public and to the media.

The next regular board meeting is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 24 at Sherwood Acres Elementary School.