School principals
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 21, 2011
New South Panola School principals Tim Fowler (left), who is overseeing the high school, and Batesville Junior High School principal Charles Beene attended a “board retreat” last Thursday where they got acquainted with trustees and other school administrators. The Panolian photo by Rupert Howell
By Rupert Howell
Trustees for South Panola School District got to meet and hear from two new school administrators who have joined the district as principals, during a two-day retreat held in a rural setting south of Sardis last week.
Tim Fowler will be moving with his wife from West Point to be principal at South Panola High School and Charles Beene will be moving from Pontotoc with his family to be principal of Batesville Junior High. Beene was recently employed at Pontotoc Middle School. Fowler has most recently been employed as Federal Projects Coordinator at West Point.
Beene told trustees and administrators “… if you were looking for a yeller or screamer, you’ve hired the wrong person,” and then added, “I do believe in running an orderly school.”
Beene was in the Navy and has served as a policeman before getting into the education field where he has spent seven of his 11 years in administration.
Fowler told school officials they had made a good decision as he had attempted to hire Beene at West Point when he was principal at the high school there.
“I know about the football monster,” Fowler said explaining that he was a former football coach stating, “I want emphasis in other areas too. I understand football but academics must come first.”
Another area of emphasis may be in South Panola’s choir department where Fowler’s wife, Ginger, will take the lead.
Fowler boasted that as a music teacher his wife had received numerous accolades before admitting that she was usually the reason people were sad to see him leave.
Besides the right kind of relationships with students, Fowler emphasized a “rigorous senior year” for college bound seniors, stating that it was important for their future classroom success.
Fowler is replacing Jay Foster who took the superintendent’s job for Senatobia Schools. Beene is replacing Leslie Busby who is now serving as South Panola’s vocational director.
Cedric Graham, who was to move to the high school as assistant principal, has taken a job as principal at Pontotoc Middle School.
