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ELKINS – The Randolph County Board of Education approved the hiring of Stephanie Latif as the new principal at Elkins Middle School during a special meeting this week.
During the personnel portion of the meeting, the BOE approved the principal’s hiring with a 5-0 vote. Latif currently serves as an assistant principal at Pendleton County Middle/High School and will officially start her new job at Elkins Middle School on Oct. 7.
Latif replaces former principal Dawn Kittle, who transferred at the beginning of the school year to take a teaching position at Jennings Randolph Elementary School. Elkins High School Athletic Director Ross Ware has been substituting for Kittle at the school, alongside assistant principals Ernie Gooding and Kayla White. Ware’s last day as substitute principal will be Oct. 6.
Randolph County Schools Superintendent Dr. Derek Lambert was the principal at Pendleton County High School, his alma mater, this past school year before being hired as superintendent.
A total of 16 personnel moves were approved during this week’s meeting, including the suspension of a professional employee at the recommendation of Randolph County Schools Superintendent Dr. Derek Lambert.
At the start of the personnel section of the meeting, BOE member Peggy Young Ross made a motion that the BOE go into executive session to discuss the personnel agenda. After spending 60 minutes in executive session, the Board returned to vote on personnel.
Board President Rachel Burns and fellow BOE members Denise Campbell and Randy Long attended the meeting alongside Young Ross. Board member Ed Daniels participated via a phone.
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During the Minutes/Agreements/Contracts section of this week’s meeting, the Board of Education unanimously approved five items on its lists.
The first item was to approve having the school district join a social media adolescent addiction litigation.
“This is for the potential to join the social media litigation against Meta for the damage that it has caused to adolescents,” Lambert said. “There is no cost for us to join and it was sent to superintendents by state superintendent Michele Blatt. She encouraged us to take a look at it and I have spoken to other superintendents in the state and most have joined.”
The next four items on the Minutes/Agreements/Contracts section of the meeting were separate memorandums of understanding between Randolph County Schools and CLIMB, the Kump Education Center, Valley Health Care, and Genesis Youth Crisis Center.
The Kump Education Center, Genesis Youth Crisis Center, and CLIMB have worked alongside the school district for several years. Valley Health Care continues to serve as the county’s school-based clinic.
The next Randolph County Board meeting will be Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.