BY BRIAN WHITT/CONTRIBUTING WRITER
bmwhitt@mail.roanoke.edu

FRANKLIN—S.P. Morton Elementary Assistant Principal Lisa Francis, who a month ago was turned down for that school’s top job, on Thursday was named principal of J.P. King Middle School.

In related matters, the Franklin School Board promoted Franklin High School Assistant Principal Travis Felts to principal, named retired Bertie County Superintendent Dr. Debbie Harris Rollins principal of S.P. Morton and accepted a resignation from J.P. King Assistant Principal Shawndell Mayes.

Many of the 20 people attending the meeting applauded and cheered the board’s decisions to name the principals.

“I’m very happy and humbled,” Francis said about Franklin School Board unanimously voting to hire her at $72,445 a year. She replaces Angela Byrd-Wright, who resigned to take a principal’s position with Hampton City Schools — closer to her home.

The school board in May voted 5-2 not to promote Francis to the principal’s job at S.P. Morton. School Board member Glenn Hopkins at the time indicated the board wanted to see more applicants; Francis was the only candidate presented to the board.

All of the positions were advertised and 25 applied for the high and middle school positions.

Francis has worked as an educator in Hertford County and Franklin Public schools for 17 years, including five as the assistant principal at S.P. Morton. She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Chowan College and a master’s from Cambridge College.

“I’m humbled, excited, and ready for the challenge,” was Felts’ reaction to being promoted to the $78,095-a-year job.

He replaces Dr. Rodney Berry, who took a principal’s position in Hopewell — closer to his home.

Felts has taught at Franklin schools for 11 years and has been the assistant principal at FHS for two years. He has a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Virginia Tech and a master’s in education from Old Dominion University.

Rollins replaces S.P. Morton Principal Don Spengeman, who retired in June. She will be paid $75,468.

Rollins worked for Bertie County Schools for one year. She also was a consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for five years and assistant superintendent at Hertford County schools for four years.

In other business, the board:

* Hired Robert Burnette as a math teacher at $37,800 and Linda Atkins as a part-time nurse at $12,665, both at Franklin High School.

* Hired special education teacher Whitney Copland at $39,800, Shirleen Garcia at $37,800 and Pauline Haswell at $49,634, all at J.P. King Middle School.

* Hired Monique Peet as a teacher’s assistant at $10,253 at S.P. Morton.

* Hired Amy Pitts as a reading coach at $31.20 an hour for S.P. Morton, Susan Carawan for curriculum revisions at FHS at $30 an hour and John Lowe as a student services assistant at $20.80 an hour.

* Accepted resignations from J.P. King special education teachers Shanda Mathis and Janell Parker.