Who's in, who's out after administrative shakeup in Bay-Waveland School District

Students in the Bay-Waveland School District will see new faces in new administrative positions when classes start on Aug. 7.

The district's Board of Trustees has voted to approve incoming Superintendent Sandra Reed's recommendations to reorganize the district's administrative structure.

The changes include consolidating some positions and saving money to help fund the reinstatement of the assistant principal position at Bay-Waveland Middle School, Reed said in a news release.

The district will consolidate two assistant superintendent positions and the job of district curriculum/instruction specialist, and that position will now be director of curriculum and instruction.

Athletic Director Monty Noblitt will be deputy superintendent while continuing to lead the athletic program, Reed said.

Nicole Menotti, of Jackson, has been hired as director of curriculum and instruction.

"I’ve spent quite a bit of time researching how we can best support the need to improve our instructional programs — primarily at the elementary level," Reed said.

"I believe the reinstatement of the director of curriculum and instruction position will provide much needed on-the-ground support to each of our schools. Mrs. Menotti is truly an expert at working with instructional data to serve as the basis for changes in elementary instructional programming. I am confident she will help us move our district forward.

"I believe we are off to a great start and am looking most forward to the 2018-2019 school year.”

The board elected Reed as superintendent in a called meeting in April.

Reed, an educator for 33 years, has been a principal at each of the grade levels in the district.

Former superintendent Vikki Landry's resignation, submitted in March, was effective June 30. At least one school board member told the Sun Herald that Landry's resignation and the dismissal of Bay High head football Coach Benji Foreman were "political." Athletic Director Vernon Powell, who announced Foreman's dismissal, then turned in his resignation.

Bay High's A grade in statewide accountability tests in 2015 dropped to a B grade in 2016 and increased to an A on test results for 2017.

The Bay High football team won only two of 18 games in the past two seasons and none of its games the season before that.

This story was originally published July 6, 2018 at 4:11 PM.