Jones County Board of Education members appointed a new principal of Clifton Ridge Middle School at a called meeting last week.
At the conclusion of the July 11 meeting, Interim School Superintendent Clinton Burston announced the appointment of Chance Scott as the new CRMS principal. Scott replaces the former principal, Dr. Stacy Carr, who was moved to the position of JCSS Federal Programs and Assessment Director at a previous meeting.
Board Chairman Ginger Bailey called the meeting to order, and Burston recommended the purchase of ProCom Headsets for an estimated cost of $16,886, funded from the Jones County High School Athletic Department budget.
Board member Brady Skinner made a motion to approve the purchase, and the vote to approve was unanimous. All board members were present with the exception of Dr. Nancy Nash.
The meeting was adjourned to enter closed session to discuss personnel at 5:35 p.m. They returned at 6:15 p.m. Burston recommended the acceptance of the personnel items discussed in closed session, and Board Member Kim Washburn made the motion approve the recommendation. His motion was approved unanimously.
In addition to Scott’s appointment, two additional and related recommendations were approved. Shannon Smith was moved to the position of assistant principal at CRMS, replacing Scott. LaMisha M. Clark was moved to the position of assistant principal and instructional coach for Gray Station Middle School, replacing Smith.
Scott took the opportunity to thank the board for the appointment.
He stated the Jones County School System created opportunities for him as a child and teenager, but he never expected to be in the board room to accept a position of school principal.
“I never thought I’d be in this room in any capacity other than a tribunal, hearing my fate,” he said. “At no point did I think I would graduate or any of this was attainable.”
The new principal said what the people in the school system poured into to him allowed him to know the world was bigger than this community.
“We need to push the people in this community to go out, but the most important thing is to come back to this great place and change it,” he said.
Scott said he has worked under great leaders, and he has tried to take the best from them. The speaker said he has used that to his advantage.
“The piece that was missing was consistency, and I was able to get that from Dr. Carr. I got to see how doing things consistently daily and holding everyone to the same standard puts a product in front of you that you can’t deny,” he said.
Scott said Clifton Ridge is on the rise but is only going to get better.
“We are a good school, but we are going to be a great school. I thank you for the opportunity; I will not disappoint you,” he said.
