Assignments announced

Principals for the new configuration of Jay County’s elementary schools were announced Wednesday.

Jay Schools superintendent Jeremy Gulley, in a press release, announced a shift that will place Julie Gregg at East, Erica Tomano at General Shanks and Rex Pinkerton at Redkey for the 2018-19 school year.

Gregg, currently principal of General Shanks Elementary School, will become principal of East, which will become a kindergarten through second grade facility.

Tomano, currently principal of Judge Haynes, which is closing at the end of the school year, will become principal of Shanks. It will become a grade three through five facility in the fall.

Pinkerton, currently principal of East, will become principal of Redkey, which will remain a kindergarten through fifth grade facility.

Redkey’s current principal, Jan McGalliard, is the administrator with the least seniority. Gulley said she will be reassigned to a position within the teaching faculty.

Ben Dues and Jeff Davis will remain as principals at Bloomfield and Westlawn elementary schools respectively.

Jay School Board made the decision last month to close the Judge Haynes building as part of a continued effort to save money in the face of mounting financial losses. The school corporation has seen its year-end general fund balance dip from more than $3 million to less than $1.4 million at the close of 2017 because of deficit spending in five of the last six years.

Following that decision, Gulley said he is hoping to see the position of a student services coordinator created by the board. Such a position, which would be classified as a teaching job within the collective bargaining agreement with the Jay Classroom Teachers Association, would work with students and parents at the reconfigured East and Shanks.

“These administrators have done an excellent job and we are lucky to have such quality people serving our students,” Gulley said in a prepared statement. “I have complete confidence that they will continue to provide outstanding leadership in their new roles.”

Gregg is in her fourth year as a principal.

She served two years at Redkey and is in her second year at General Shanks.

Tomano is completing her sixth year as principal at Haynes.

Pinkerton served four years as principal at Pennville Elementary School, which closed its doors at the end of the 2016-17 school year, and is in his first year at East.

McGalliard is in her second year as principal at Redkey.