The DeSoto County Board of Education approved three key administrators as principals at its Feb. 1 meeting in Hernando. The three will assume their new duties this summer.

In addition, the board revised the 2009-10 school calendar due to ice/snow days and considered a bond resolution that would complete the three new schools currently under construction.

Approved as principals were Colleen Long, an assistant principal at DeSoto Central Elementary, who will take the helm at DeSoto Central Primary; Renee Triplett, an assistant principal at Hernando Hills Elementary, who will become head of Hernando Elementary; and Jeannie Treadway, an assistant principal at Lewisburg Elementary, who will take charge of Lewisburg Primary.

Ten DeSoto County School District assistant principals interviewed before a select committee for the three positions, according to Charlie Alexander, assistant superintendent in charge of personnel.

“All 10 applicants were highly qualified,” Alexander said. “It was a tough decision.”

The remaining seven applicants, he added, will be considered when other openings occur within the district’s 40 schools.

Long, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi and a master’s degree from Delta State, has spent her entire 13-year career in DeSoto County.

Scheduled for completion in August, DeSoto Central Primary is located several miles south of the DeSoto Central complex on Getwell Road. When opened, it will serve kindergarten, and first- and second- grade students.

Triplett, who takes the place of retiring HES principal Barbara Jepsen, holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Alabama and a master’s degree from Freed-Hardeman University. She has 10 years’ experience, including eight in the DeSoto County School District.

Treadway, who holds both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Ole Miss, has spent her entire seven years of education work in DeSoto County.

Lewisburg Primary – scheduled for completion this summer – is located adjacent to LES. It will serve students in kindergarten, and first- and second- grades.

DeSoto County Superintendent of Education Milton Kuykendall praised Jepsen, who is retiring after 19 years at HES. Before coming to DeSoto County she served as principal at Memphis Preparatory School, curriculum coordinator at Sacred Heart School and a teacher at Tunica County High School.

“Barbara Jepsen has had a distinguished educational career,” Kuykendall noted. “She has done an amazing job at Hernando Elementary School and we appreciate her years of service. She has touched many lives and is loved by her students and by this community.”

In related news, the board discussed using part of the money from a DeSoto County bond issue to complete construction on the district’s three remaining schools.

“The county passed a $60 million bond issue two years ago,” said assistant superintendent Ken Reid. “There’s $15 million left, and $15 million of construction left at Lake Cormorant High and the two primary schools, Lewisburg and DeSoto Central.”

Kuykendall also informed board members that the state education department had ruled on a district request that DeSoto County not make up the two days, Jan. 7-8, that were missed due to snow. Students also missed Jan. 29 due to ice and snow.

“We’ve been denied,” Kuykendall said, “so we’re going to have to make up all of them.”

The President’s Day holiday will be used to replace the day missed on Jan. 29, he explained, with May 24-25 being added to the calendar in place of Jan. 7-8.

Schools throughout the district are also taking part in Black History Month, according to Jennifer Weeks, associate superintendent for academic education. Weeks discussed several of the planned activities and presented board members with packets of information outlining activities at all district schools.

“There are a lot of great things going on in the district,” she said. “Students are doing a lot of reports as teachers are using (Black History Month) to address the writing process.”