The Cleveland County School Board hired an athletic director in a newly created position Monday night at its regular school board meeting.
But he’s a familiar face.
Davy King will shift from Rison High School principal to athletic director. LeTitia Walker will become the new high school principal.
Previously, Clay Totty was both head football coach and athletic directory. Totty left last year after the season ended to become the head football coach at Wynne High School.
Superintendent Craig Dupuy, who will leave Rison in June and go to the Benton School District as an assistant superintendent, said the athletic director is needed.
The majority of Monday night’s meeting focused on the complexities of the LEARNS Act and how it will impact small rural schools like Rison. Dupuy said that LEARNS will affect everyone from administrators to teachers to custodians. The LEARNS Act, Dupuy said, might look good on paper, but it’s going to be difficult to implement in reality.
He also said it is unclear how the new law will affect districts — small or large — in the future, but it will likely create a crisis for districts trying to retain teachers.
Small schools are already struggling on a daily basis, Dupuy said. The LEARNS Act implements a $2 an hour raise for “classified” employees like custodians and bus drivers. Dupuy said districts likely won’t have enough money to give the raises to everyone or even possibly hire more classified employees. Struggling districts like Rison already do not have enough school bus drivers. In fact, Dupuy even drives a bus. The LEARNS Act may add to this burgeoning crisis.
