It was nothing but good news at the Russellville School Board meeting last Tuesday night.

Those in attendance were told of a new middle school principal, an interim principal at Stevenson and reduction of student-to-teacher ratio throughout the school system.

Ron Dunlevy has been hired to fill the vacant principal's position at Russellville Middle School. Kaye Wilkins has been named the interim principal at Stevenson Elementary while the search for a principal to fill the vacancy when Jane Silvey retired at the end of the school year continues.

It was believed when school was dismissed in May there would be fewer teachers at Stevenson. Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Stephens told board members and audience Tuesday that after a reworking of Title I money, five positions were saved.

Each one of the schools will have a full time guidance counselor. SES will have an assistant principal with Ron Watkins returning to that position; interviews are still being conducted to fill that position at RMS.

Wilkins is a central office administrator who is a former Stevenson principal.

Dr. Stephens asked permission of the board to change the payroll schedule for personnel. Now, instead of receiving their checks the first of the months, personnel will be receiving those checks the last working day of each month.

A report was made on the feasibility of moving the fifth grade to Stevenson Elementary. This will be studied further and addressed once again in February.

Even though the general consensus is the fifth grade should be located at SES, Dr. Stephens told board members that by reducing the student-teacher ratio at SES, a lot of room at the school was now going to be utilized this fall.

The feasibility of dismissing the middle school earlier on Friday would also be addressed further in February because if one school is dismissed early, then the entire school system would be affected.

Other general business was conducted by the board and then adjourned.