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The Southampton County School Board held a special meeting Wednesday, Aug. 21, and received information on staffing, projected enrollment numbers and more, and the board also hired a Southampton High School principal.

STAFFING UPDATE

Southampton County Public Schools Human Resources Coordinator Latonia Hutcheson presented the status update on staffing.

Capron Elementary School vacancies:

• Special education K-2 paraprofessional

Hutcheson noted that she and her department had made two new hires at CES for the 2024-25 school year.

Meherrin Elementary School vacancies:

• General education paraprofessional;
• School nurse; 
• Special education K-2 paraprofessional; and
• Eagle Care (before and after care) attendant.

The presentation noted that there had been three new hires made for MES for the new school year.

Nottoway Elementary School vacancies:

• Special education inclusion pre-K teacher; and 
• Grades 4-5 paraprofessional.

Hutcheson said the SPED inclusion pre-K teacher position is going to be moving to Riverdale Elementary School.

Her presentation noted that there had been four new hires made for NES for the new school year.

Riverdale Elementary School vacancies:

• Grade 4 reading teacher; 
• Life skills special education teacher;
• Life skills special education paraprofessional;
• Two early childhood special education paraprofessionals;
• School secretary; and 
• Early childhood special education teacher.

Referencing the fourth grade reading teacher position, Hutcheson said, “That is certainly my priority for hiring. I do have some people who are interested in the position, so I will be conducting interviews on Friday, and hopefully we will walk away with a wonderful and exciting teacher to inspire and motivate our students.”

Her presentation noted that there had been five new hires made for RES for the new school year.

Southampton Middle School vacancies:

• Grade 6 reading teacher;
• Special education paraprofessional;
• Health and physical education teacher;
• Computer technology teacher;
• School secretary; and
• Receptionist.

In reference to the sixth grade reading teacher, Hutcheson said, “We, again, are working very diligently with that.”

For the HPE teacher, she said, “We do have something in the works for that, but I am listing it as a vacancy until we can work out everything.”

She noted that the computer technology teacher position had just become vacant.

Her presentation noted that there had been eight new hires made for SMS for the new school year.

Southampton High School vacancies:

• Principal (filled by the end of the Aug. 21 meeting);
• Life skills special education paraprofessional;
• Economics and personal finance/Teach for Tomorrow teacher;
• Health and physical education teacher;
• Tech draw teacher; 
• Agriculture teacher; and 
• Agriculture power teacher.

Hutcheson noted that the ag positions are significantly difficult to fill because those capable of serving in them usually stay in the field.

Her presentation noted that there had been five new hires made for SHS for the new school year. 

That tally went up to six when the board emerged from closed session Aug. 21 and hired Jafar Baraka as the new SHS principal.

Among other decisions made after the closed session, the board also reappointed Tim Mason as the athletic director at SHS and appointed, effective Oct. 1, a part-time reading specialist at SMS.

ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS

SCPS Director of Instruction Kelli Gillette shared information at the Aug. 21 meeting on the projected enrollment for each school in the division.

Capron Elementary School

• K-5 total enrollment: 164
• Total including pre-K: 182

Meherrin Elementary School

• K-5 total enrollment: 181
• Total including pre-K: 199

Nottoway Elementary School

• K-5 total enrollment: 216
• Total including pre-K: 234

Riverdale Elementary School

• K-5 total enrollment: 460
• Total including pre-K: 532

Southampton Middle School

• Total enrollment: 559

Southampton High School

• Total enrollment: 801

“And these (numbers) are projected, so you know the first day of school, we have people coming in, and we’re having people coming and register daily,” Gillette said.