Kosciusko now has its man to lead the high school.
The Kosciusko Board of Trustees unanimously hired Cory Blaylock as the new principal during a special called meeting Monday night.
Blaylock is a 17-year education veteran and an Attala County native. He was most recently the principal at Raleigh High School in Smith County.
“I have been at several school districts and feel that I have learned a lot at those school districts that I can bring here to Kosciusko,” Blaylock said. “I think I can bring some new ideas, but also some old school tactics that can help improve the school.”
In other action the board officially accepted a memorandum of agreement with Barksdale Reading Institute for a 50 percent funding grant for the new pre-kindergarten program.
“The matching grant will cover everything from teacher salaries, supplies and developing the modular classrooms,” Kosciusko superintendent Gina Smith said. “The agreement is for three years and after that the school will be seeking other partnerships or collaborate with the Mississippi Department of Education.”
As part of the agreement Barksdale will provide program resources, provide professional development and supply program monitoring.
In connection with the pre-kindergarten program the district also accepted a contractual agreement with Gardner Engineering for site preparation for the buildings.
Other actions taken by the board include:
• accepted the resignation of Glenn Stevens as principal at Upper Elementary and reassigned him as a teacher at the junior high;
• accepted resignations from Misty Holder and Gwendolyn Crowell;
• approved Josh Dodd and Chris Terry as elementary assistant principals;
• nulled the contract for Ashley Moore as a teach at the high school.
