New administrative changes at MPSD schools
Jun. 27—Meridian Public School District students will see some old and new administrative faces on school campuses when classes begin on Aug. 8.
At Carver, which will reopen as an elementary school, veteran educator Amanda Shadwick will take the helm as principal after serving as an assistant principal at Parkview Elementary School for the past two years. The district had previously announced her appointment after it was approved by the MPSD Board of Trustees in April.
Joining her at Carver will be two new assistant principals, Victor White, who served as assistant principal at TJ Harris Upper Elementary this past year, and Belinda McCune, who will be coming to the Meridian school district from the Newton Municipal School District.
Earlier this year, the school board voted to re-configure its elementary campuses. As a result, Oakland Heights Elementary School closed at the end of school in May with its students being relocated to the new Carver Elementary. Meanwhile, students from TJ Harris Upper and Lower elementary schools are being relocated to Carver and Crestwood Elementary Schools. Pre-K students from across the district are being relocated to the new Little Wildcat Academy at the TJ Harris Lower campus.
At Crestwood, Dana Bell begins her fifth year leading the school and will be joined by Mable Moore, serving as assistant principal. Moore comes to Crestwood from TJ Harris Lower, where she served as assistant principal for the past three years.
At Parkview, Shannon Thomas will continue to serve as principal for the fourth year, while TiJuana Frost will join administration as the new assistant principal.
The leadership teams at both Poplar Springs Elementary and West Hills Elementary will remain unchanged for the next school year. Yolanda Davis will continue to serve as principal at Poplar Springs and Corey Boykin will continue as assistant principal. Shannon Miller and Veronica Boler will return to West Hills as principal and assistant principal, respectively.
Pamela Hudson, who served as associate principal at TJ Harris Lower for the past two years, will lead the newly formed Little Wildcat Academy.
At Magnolia Middle School, Sherrod Miller will return as principal for the next school year, and Amy Grady will return as assistant principal.
The school board approved Kimberly Pace as the new principal at Northwest Middle School back in April. She had served as assistant principal at Northwest for the past two years.
Joining Pace at Northwest are assistant principals Nastasha McDonald and Fredrick Strickland, who are both new to the Meridian school district.
At Meridian High School, Angela McQuarley will begin her third year as principal. The school's leadership team will remain intact with Dr. Tiffany Fisher serving as associate principal and Fred Delk, Kevin Gandy, Rufus Wright and Karen Burton all returning as assistant principals. Patrina Johnson will round out the MHS leadership team, replacing Tawanda McClelland, who had served as assistant principal for the past three years.
McClelland will move to Ross Collins Career and Technical Center where she will serve as the new assistant director. Meanwhile, Matt Johnson will begin his second year as director at Ross Collins.
The leadership team at Marion Park will return intact with Theresa Chisolm serving as director, Dr. Carla Fleming as elementary assistant director and Chris Kennedy as secondary assistant director.
Dr. Jeffery Blackmon, who served as principal at TJ Harris Upper for the past several years, is retiring from the district.
Shirley Mosley, who was principal at Oakland Heights, will now serve as the district's Assistant Director of Exceptional Childhood Education. Joye Cullen, who was Oakland Heights' assistant principal, is leaving the district to pursue other educational opportunities.
Contact Glenda Sanders at gsanders@themeridianstar.com.
