Jason Hardy Appointed New Jackson Co. Schools Director

Jackson County School District has found its new Director in Jason Hardy.

Until his appointment Thursday night at the School Board meeting, Hardy served as the principal of Jackson County High School. Hardy received the majority of school board votes.

“I’m super excited, my passion is Jackson County, I’m from here and moved away but I came back and the reason I came back was to serve the kids of Jackson County,” Hardy said. “I enjoy all the people in the county that I work with already, I’m just looking to work with all the schools now.”

Instructional Supervisor Tammy Woolbright was the second-highest vote-getter, with board members Kim Denson and Mark Allen voting for her. Wayne Sells, Steve Robbins, and Gary Tinsley received no votes.

School Board Chair Mark Brown said he wanted to make sure the board established a contract before the next school boarding meeting. He proposed using former Director of Schools Kristy Brown’s contract for a term of two years. Brown recently took a job with the state Department of Education.

Mark Brown also said that language regarding grounds for termination as well as a notice for termination needed to be addressed.

“We had discussed that somewhere where the board and/or the director can have an out, I don’t know where it got taken out of (Kristy Brown’s) last one but it was always in the end we had approved always in there that,” Brown said. “And that language needs to be in there that, you know we know anything in life can happen.”

Former Director Joe Barlow will enter into a year-long contract to help Hardy in the transition to the new role.

Brown said a job posting for Jackson County High School Principal will be posted as of Friday. From there, Hardy will lead the hiring process.

In other business, the school board also approved insurance rates for the 2023-2024 school year. The next school board meeting is set for August 24th at 6 p.m. at the Central Office.