School Board Honors Retiring Teachers and Bus Driver

The DeKalb County Board of Education recognized the retirees and new tenured teachers during Thursday night’s meeting held at the DCHS Cafeteria.
Those retiring at the close of the school year are Ina Ruth Bess of DeKalb County High School, who has been an educator for 58 years; Lynda Luna of Smithville Elementary School, who has taught 34 years; Linda Franklin of DeKalb Middle School, who has been a teacher for 35 years; Linda Lawrence of DeKalb Middle School, who has taught for 30 years; and Rebecca Davis of Northside Elementary School, who has been an educator here for 11 years. Sandra Hays, a teacher at DeKalb County High School retired earlier in the school year and was not present at Thursday night’s meeting. Jack Patterson, who has been a bus driver for 20 years, is also retiring. Each of the retirees was presented a plaque by Director of Schools Mark Willoughby and their principal or supervisor.
Tenured teachers recognized were Ashley Barnes of DeKalb Middle School, Amanda Rhoady of Smithville Elementary School, Tena Davidson of Northside Elementary School, Cynthia Preston of DeKalb West School, and David Gash, Melissa Ruch, and Larry Steffee of DeKalb County High School.
Director of Schools Willoughby has employed the DeKalb County Support Staff for the 2007-2008 school year.
He presented the list of employees to the Board of Education Thursday night.
Those employed at DeKalb County High School are:
Rena Adcock- Cook, Cindy Armour-Cook, Jean Bandy-Cook, Cathy Beltz-Educational Assistant, Richard Bullard- Custodian, Kathy Chapman-Cook, Billy Colwell- Custodian, Linda Cyphers- Vocational Rehabilitation Secretary, Debbie Eaton- Educational Assistant, Regina Estes- Secretary, Beverly Ferrell- Educational Assistant, Faye Hendrix- Vocational Secretary, Jerry Herman- Custodian, Helen LaFevre-Cook, Tammy Lambert-Educational Assistant, Debra Magness- Bookkeeper, Rhonda Merriman-Educational Assistant, April Patterson- Guidance/Records Clerk, JoAnn Pittman-Custodian, Jo Dean Redmon-Cook, Rob Robinson-Educational Assistant, Juanita Salazar- Part time Custodian, Beverly Starnes-Cook, Suzanne Williams-Educational Assistant, and Debbie Young-Cafeteria Manager.
DeKalb Middle School:
Rita Beshearse- Part Time Library Assistant/Part Time Cafeteria Monitor, Helen Burt- Part Time Cafeteria worker, Helen Cantrell-Cook, Fay Gilreath- School Bookkeeper, Johnna Goff- Educational Assistant, Connie Haggard- Cook, Truitt Hale- Custodian, Murinna Herman- Custodian, Barbara Hibdon- Cook, Rita Johnson-Cook, Molly Johnson-Educational Assistant, Samantha Lester- School Secretary, Reba Malone- Custodian, Paulette McDonald- Educational Assistant, Deandrea Miller- Educational Assistant,Lisa Norton- Educational Assistant, Julie Pugh- Educational Assistant, Eldon Vanatta- Cafeteria Manager, and Jean Young- Educational Assistant.
Smithville Elementary School:
Austin Bain-Custodian, Jimmy Barnes- Custodian, Christie Bates- Cook, Pauline Braswell- Educational Assistant, Brenda Crook-Educational Assistant, Barbara Ervin- Cafeteria Manager, Darlene Evans-Educational Assistant, Jennifer Gay- Educational Assistant, Betty Griffith- Educational Assistant, Jean Hayes- Cook, Vickie Jeffries- Educational Assistant, Angela Johnson- Educational Assistant, Natasha Judkins- Educational Assistant, Melinda Lattimore- Educational Assistant, Rita Liechtfuss- Educational Assistant, Sara Lomas-Custodian, Patricia Milam- Part Time Cafeteria Monitor/Substitute Custodian, Tina Miller- Educational Assistant, Dori Mooneyham- Educational Assistant, Lisa Pack- Educational Assistant, Freeda Pedigo- Cook, Rhonda Pelham- Secretary/Receptionist, Lori Poss- School Bookkeeper, Evelyn Rankhorn- Educational Assistant, Brenda Rigney- Part Time Educational Assistant, Debra Rowland- Educational Assistant, Thomas Trammell- Custodian, Tammy Tyler- Cook, Annie Walker- Educational Assistant, Celia Whaley- Educational Assistant, and Judy Wilson-Cook..
Northside Elementary:
Faye Adkins-Custodian, Charles Ayers- Custodian, Suzanne Bradford- Educational Assistant, Cindy Childers- Educational Assistant, Betty Cooper-Cook, Gail Crips- Secretary, Ervil Cubbins- Educational Assistant, Regina Daw- Cafeteria Manager, Rebecca Ervin- Cook, Starr Ferrell-Educational Assistant, Gloria Gardner- English as a Second Language (ESL) Educational Assistant, June Gilbert-Cook, Phyllis Hallum- Educational Assistant, Dena Haugh- Educational Assistant, Thelma Martin- Educational Assistant, Denise Merriman-Cook, Angie Moore-Educational Assistant, Deanna Page- Cafeteria Monitor/Part Time Cafeteria Worker, Linda Sorrell- Educational Assistant, Diane Trapp- School Bookkeeper, and Kim Violet- Custodian,
DeKalb West School:
Holly Bain-Educational Assistant, Betty Boss- Educational Assistant, Brenda Beth Cantrell-Educational Assistant, Donna Driver- Cook, Dorothy Duggin-Custodian, Tena Edwards- Educational Assistant, Pauline Frazier- Custodian, Mattie Frazier-Custodian, Lisa Hale- Educational Assistant, Donna Hale- School Bookkeeper, Donna Hendrix- Cook, Melissa Hicks- Part time Cook, Shelby Jennings- Educational Assistant Faye Nixon-Cook, Kristi Sullivan- Educational Assistant, Roenia Turner- Half Time Library Assistant and Lunch Room Monitor, Jalene Vanatta- Secretary, and Georgia Young-Cafeteria Manager.
County Wide Positions:
Chandra Adcock- School Nurse, Jenean Bain- Bus Assistant, Benita Byars- School Nurse, Betty Cooper-Substitute Cafeteria Worker, Bettye June Dodd- Bus Assistant, Sharon Farler- Substitute School Nurse, Greg Frasier-Computer Technician, Melissa Fuson- Substitute School Nurse, Theresa Garrison- Part-time Occupational Therapist, Billy Golden- Maintenance Worker, Rhonda Harpole- Library Assistant -half time at Smithville Elementary School and half time at Northside Elementary School, Terry Hicks- Maintenance Worker, Earl Jared- Maintenance Supervisor, Freda Johnson- Bus Assistant, Mary Joines- Bus Assistant, Eddy Roy Judkins- Maintenance Worker, Sara Lee-Substitute Cafeteria Worker, Faye Lohorn- Substitute Cafeteria Worker, Teresa Miller- Payroll/Bookkeeper Central Office, Tera Mooneyham- English as a Second Language (ESL) Assistant, Brad Mullinax- Technology Director, Nancy Mulloy- Substitute Cafeteria Worker, Jean Neal-Bus Assistant, Shirley Ours- Special Education Secretary, Melissa Pirtle- Food Service Bookkeeper, Elizabeth Redmon- Educational Assistant CW, Patricia Redmon- Substitute Cafeteria Worker, Jo Dean Redmon- Part Time Custodian- Brian Reed- Alternative School Assistant, Joyce Robinson- Payroll/Bookkeeper Central Office, Jennifer Roller- Substitute Cafeteria Worker, Jewell Tate-Part time Custodian, Ricky Todd- Substitute Custodian, Kimberly Turner- School Nurse, Barbara Vanatta- Substitute Cafeteria Worker, Jamie Vickers- Secretary/Bookkeeper Central Office, and Rita Young-Attendance Clerk at Northside Elementary and Smithville Elementary School.
Transportation
Shane Cook- Transportation Supervisor, James Wilkerson- Mechanic, and Peggy Pursell- Part Time Secretary.
The following are bus drivers: Harold Ashford, Karen Adkins, Dwayne Cantrell, Dinah Cripps, Elaine Davis, Debbie Eaton, Julie Fayette, Marshall Ferrell, Starr Ferrell, Julie Fitts, Linda Fowler, Bill Fowler, Lynn Griffith, Judith Hale, Melissa Hicks, Kimberly Lawson, Angela Lawson, Bobby Martin, Ronald Merriman, Jimmy Mullican, Walter Phillips, Faye Pollard, Jimmy Poss, Tony Poss, Peggy Pursell, J.T. Pursell, Juanita Salazar, Vickie Simpson, Bobby Taylor, Mark Violet, and Suzanne Williams.
Substitute bus drivers are: Danny Bond, Shawna Harper, Jerry Lawson, Daniel Lawson, and Annette Vanatta.
Those employed for the 2006-2007 school year since the last meeting are Nancy Mulloy-substitute cafeteria worker; K. Wayne Taylor- substitute custodian; Michael Kingsbury-part time groundskeeper; and Nicholas Smith-part time groundskeeper. Pam Eldridge, a sign language interpreter at Smithville Elementary School, has resigned.
Special Education Summer School Personnel have also been employed. Summer School is set for June 4th-29th from 7:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. (4 hours daily).
Instructors are as follows:
Extended Preschool Program: Teacher Jane Parsley and assistants Tina Miller and Dori Mooneyham.
Early Elementary Reading Intervention: Teacher- Amy Fox and assistant Thelma Martin.
Upper Elementary Reading Intervention: Teacher- Tonya Perry (Holly Espinosa will fill in one week) and assistant Phyllis Hallum. Speech/Language Therapy-Louise Owen, Assistant for Speech/Language Lisa Pack; and there will be a Sign Language Interpretor for a deaf student.