Board picks new principal for Jackson High School

Jackson High School assistant principal Vince Powell will be principal next school year, the school board decided unanimously last month. The district expects to have a new assistant principal named in the next six weeks.

Principal Rick McClard will leave at the end of the school year. After 31 years in the education field, McClard retired in 2006, but was rehired after administrators received no applications for his job. A state "critical shortage" law allows a district to employ a retired educator for up to two years.

McClard has been receiving a salary and retirement pay.

On Dec. 11, the board voted in closed session to promote Powell, who has been with the district eight years, superintendent Dr. Ron Anderson said.

The position was not advertised and no other candidates were considered, Anderson said.

"We just did a transfer on that. He had been working in the district and is finishing up his doctorate. That is a very critical, important decision. We wanted to get the decision made so we could start looking for an assistant to replace him," Anderson said.

Board president Brent Wills said the school board acted on Anderson's recommendation.

"He's been under consideration for a while. We knew McClard was going to retire. He was an excellent candidate in our mind to take where McClard left off and move forward," Wills said.

There are no other administrative positions open in Jackson, Anderson said. Cynthia Matthew, principal of West Lane Elementary, retired and was rehired under the same law as McClard, but decided this year to freeze her retirement pay to continue working beyond the two years allowed, Anderson said.

lbavolek@semissourian.com

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