School Board Selects New Director of Schools

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer 

The Franklin County School Board will offer the director of schools position to Amie Lonas, dean of academics and acting vice president for academic affairs at Joint Special Operations University at MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Fla.

At a special called meeting on April 13, the board voted five to three, selecting Lonas over Stanley Bean, principal at North Middle School in Winchester, and Michael Murphy, superintendant at St. Clair R-XIII School District in St. Clair, Mo.

Raised in Dayton, Tenn., Lonas earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, a master’s degree from University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and worked in the Maryville and Jefferson City public schools. During her time as a principal in Jefferson City, she earned an Ed.D. in educational leadership from Vanderbilt University.

After serving an eight-month tour in Iraq as an Air Force Reserve officer, she assumed her present position in adult education at MacDill Air Force Base.

Lonas said in her application for the director position, “I have missed the rewards of working at the secondary level and in my home state of Tennessee.”

Adam Tucker, Sewanee’s school board representative, said this about Lonas: “She’s very bright. She combines a good mind with compassionate empathy and an appropriate level of firmness and the ability to make hard decisions.”

Board chairman Kevin Caroland said his goal was to have a signed contract by the next board meeting on Monday, April 20. Caroland asked the board to “give me latitude to negotiate on the salary.”

Advertised salary range for the position was $95,000–$115,000. The board set a salary upper limit of $110,000 and a $6,000 maximum for relocation expenses.

The director’s annual salary is set for the four-year contract term. The director’s salary only increases when the state mandates a percentage across-the-board increase for certified school employees. Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber received a 1.5 percent raise during her seven years of service. Sharber’s contract ends on June 30.

At the next board meeting, the board will address collecting student cell phones during TCAP testing to prevent disruption; demolition of the old Franklin County High School field house; selling the Oak Grove School; and approval of the 2015–16 school board budget.