During the Thursday, January 13 meeting of the Tangipahoa Parish School Board Personnel Committee, Superintendent Mark Kolwe brought forth his recommendations for the new principals of the magnet and montessori programs that will take effect at the end of this current school year. Many of the local area schools will keep their current principals, however a couple of schools will see principal replacements.

Dr. Lynell Higgenbotham, Chief Desegregation Implementation Officer, informed the committee that once the report comes to them, she has already done her portion of the investigation and has approved individuals on the basis of hiring order as far as African American teachers and administrators are concerned.

Kolwe explained that advertisements began in-house before school began in 2010, hoping that all positions would be filled by current district principals. The hiring committee consisted of Chief Academic Officer Melissa Stilley, Dr. Higgenbotham, Dr. Danny Williams, and Theresa Hamilton. The hiring committee made their recommendations to Kolwe, who then made the final decisions.

Desegregation attorney Charles Patin explained that school faculties should be balanced, and no one should be able to tell if a school is majority black or majority white by the condition of the school or by administration. Patin said that shuffling of teachers and administrators is necessary to satisfy that balance if the ratios are not right to begin with. Dr. Higgenbotham informed the committee that she did not agree with all of the selections, but the majority she did agree with. Kolwe explained that the selection process was as open and fair as possible and he wanted principals who bought into the magnet and montessori programs to have a chance to apply. These moves will be affecting a major amount of people, Kolwe said, between the principal changes and the future teacher reassignments.

The following individuals have been named as new program principals:

Cathy LeBlanc will move from Independence Elementary to Hammond West Side Montessori.

Roxanne Patti will move from Midway Elementary to Roseland Montessori Elementary.

Maureen Terese will move from Nesom Middle to Hammond East Side Magnet International Baccaulaureate Fine & Performing Arts School.

Marquita Jackson will remain at Hammond Jr. High Magnet International Baccalaureate.

Chad Troxclair will remain at Hammond High Magnet International Baccalaureate/Medical Professions School.

Kay Christmas will remain at Amite Elementary Magnet Communications Arts School.

Cheryl James will move from Hammond East Side Upper to Woodland Park Elementary Communications Arts School.

Alexa Hookfin will remain at Independence Middle Magnet Communications Arts School.

Rochelle Bates will remain at Kentwood High Magnet Fine & Performing Arts School.

Brenda Johnson will move from Roseland Elementary to be a Principal-in-waiting at Hammond West Side Montessori.

Wanda Davis will move from Woodland Park to be a Principal-in-waiting at Hammond East Side Magnet.

Glenda O'Banion will move from Hammond East Side Primary to Midway Elementary.

James Keith will move from Hammond West Side Upper to Nesom Middle.

Lisa Raiford will move from Hammond West Side Primary to Independence Elementary.

The Board was scheduled to vote on the personnel committee recommendations during their Tuesday, January 18 public meeting.