BY ANDY TAYLOR

CANEY — Caney Valley Jr.-Sr. High School principal Justin Lockwood was reassigned to the newly-created position of “administrator of transportation, grounds and maintenance” upon a unanimous vote of the USD 436 Board of Education on Monday.

Superintendent Danny Fulton said the newly-formed position came after the recent retirement of Lana Grayum, district transportation director, and last year’s resignation of Dirk Griffin, district maintenance director. Those two positions will be combined into one job, where Lockwood will oversee the district’s transportation fleet as well as manage the district grounds and properties.

Fulton described the reassignment as a career move for Lockwood, who has aspirations of being a district-level administrator.

His departure now leaves the jr.-sr. high school principal position open. Fulton said the position is being advertised in statewide education journals this week with the hopes that it will be filled soon.

The announcement of Lockwood’s reassignment came on the same night when USD 436 Board of Education members agreed to not increase the salaries of school administrators and teachers for the 2009-10 school year. Because of recent state funding cuts to public schools, boards of education across the state are strapped to find new money for wage increases.

“It’s a statewide problem, and I don’t see it getting any better for another two, maybe three, years,” he said.

More details about the meeting will be printed in the June 11 edition of the Montgomery County Chronicle.