By Rupert Howell
South Panola Distict Superintendent Tim Wilder told his board of trustees that he will present the current school year’s calendar changes during the next meeting in April and hinted that it might include Saturday classes.

School administrators usually have the upcoming school year’s calendar ready for approval in March, but missed days due to bad weather and lack of direction coming from the State Department of Education and Legislature have made that decision tough to make.

South Panola missed eight days and had only two days built in the calendar for weather. Some of the days may be made up at the end of the school year but there are not enough days to complete required days before seniors are scheduled to graduate.

School administrators, after polling staff members earlier, said they preferred adding  days to the end of the year, but Wilder said it may also take three Saturdays going 60 percent days and noted the worst thing to do would be to change the graduation date. He listed problems such as renting the civic center and pre-printed graduation invitations already purchased.

“There’s a possibility there may be some type of adjustment,”(for required school days from the State Department of Education) Wilder cautioned and noted the group was meeting later this week (Thursday and Friday March 19 and 20).

Also Wilder told trustees that the 2015-16 school year calendar was yet to presented for approval as next year’s state testing dates have yet to be released and administrators are in a quandary over whether to take Spring break during the week Northwest CC takes theirs (March 7-11, 2016) or when Ole Miss takes theirs, (March 14-18, 2016). Both of those dates are tentative according to Wilder.

Position changes, retirements and hiring recommendations approved during March’s  monthly meeting of the South Panola Schools’ trustee board meeting included naming two new assistant principals for the high school and transferring another assistant principal there.

David Odom and Lance Reed were both approved as assistant principals for the high school effective July 1 and Jason Matthews will move from Batesville Junior High School to the high school and serve as assistant principal there.

Sara Helen Ware will serve as cheerleader coach with Krissi Williams and Janet Dickerson both serving as assistant cheer coaches.

Charlie Howard’s duties at the high school will include his being assistant athletic director, head basketball coach and teacher for the coming 2015-16 school year. He is currently serving as lead teacher along with his coaching and other duties.