By Rupert Howell

South Panola school trustees ended their school year Friday by approving a $30 million budget as recommended, paying year-end claims and approving several employment recommendations and resignations.

Among those resigning were deputy Superintendent Dr. Jeremiah Burks who has handled personnel and curriculum while in the district and Dr. Dawn Weed.

Superintendent Dr. Keith Shaffer informed the board that a controversial hire from a previous meeting, basketball Coach Marlon Dorsey, had taken a head basketball coaching position in Greenville and would not be accepting the job at South Panola. When asked about Burks’ resignation, Shaffer did not mention a Dorsey recommendation as a reason.

Shaffer also apologized to his board for not making them aware of Dorsey’s situation before asking them to approve the recommendation.

State and regional news media picked up on the hire reporting the district had hired the coach that was caught on video “beating students” with a weight-lifting belt at Murrah High School in Jackson in 2010.

Also during Friday’s meeting, high school assistant principal Lorenzo Grimes was named Batesville Junior High School principal and Patty Dennis was named Batesville Elementary School Assistant Principal.

Justin Reed will be the new SPHS baseball coach. He is currently coach at Louisville High School. His wife, Alicia, was hired as Batesville Elementary School librarian.

The superintendent said the new baseball coach had been interviewed by both SP principal Tim Fowler and athletic director Lance Pogue before being recommended to trustees for their approval.

Other teacher hires at Friday’s meeting included: Kerry Easley, James Listenbee, Lori Johnson, Jody Bevill, Stephanie Wells, Elizabeth Paschka and Rex Houston transferred from Batesville Junior High to South Panola’s English Department.

Trustees voted 4-1 with trustee Buddy Gray voting against the list of recommendations. Gray questioned whether the recommended junior high school principal had disciplinary skills needed for that job.

Trustees also discussed a recent issue surrounding an account paid by school maintenance money that should have been paid through the SP cheerleaders activity account.

Trustee Gray said that the district should attempt to retrieve repayment of the funds and not set precedent by paying the bill with no civil action.

Shaffer assured Gray and other trustees that he and the board’s attorney, Colmon Mitchell, were working together to do that. The superintendent explained that the bill was paid with a personal check of the former cheerleader sponsor which bounced.

“We (Shaffer and attorney Mitchell) have to figure out our legal authority to go after it,” Shaffer said while predicting the school would recover the money and adding, “It may take years to collect.”