Faced with

a tight budget for the next school year and the need to open two new schools

with minimal new hires, the Fayette County School Board has approved the

first round of staff restructuring that eliminates three top positions

in administration.

Fred Oliver,

formerly assistant superintendent for operations, has been promoted to

the new position of deputy superintendent, second in command to Superintendent

John DeCotis. He replaces Stuart Bennett, formerly assistant superintendent

for curriculum who left the district earlier this year to work for the

state Department of Education under Superintendent Kathy Cox.

Oliver will

have as direct reports Pam Riddle, promoted to assistant superintendent

for curriculum in all grades from director of elementary operations, and

Wayne Robinson, named assistant superintendent for operations systemwide.

Robinson formerly oversaw just secondary operations.

Principal Lyn

Wenzel of J.C. Booth Middle will join the county office staff as the school

system's director of curriculum. She will be responsible for working with

school personnel, principals and central office staff to coordinate curriculum

throughout the county and ensure that all schools are meeting federal

and state guidelines in instruction. A replacement for Wenzel will be

named later this year.

In addition,

the new staff flowchart has Comptroller James Stephens reporting directly

to DeCotis.

Positions eliminated

or combined with other duties include three retirements: Juliette Babb,

executive director of school improvement; Jerry Reeves, director of student

testing services; and Mary Perry, principal of the evening high school.

Faith Hardnett,

principal at East Fayette Elementary, will assume a new position at the

county office as director of student services. In her new role, Hardnett

will oversee all of the county's guidance, counseling, crisis and CARE

(Children at Risk in Education) programs as well as work with students

who are receiving services through the school system's alternative programs.

The school

board requested a "reexamination" of organizational structure

at the county office in Januay, said member Janet Smola. "So it's

been in the works. But recognizing we were dealing with significant funding

cuts, we knew we had to maximize our manpower at the top and this was

a way to do it."

What's more,

Smola said, the new structure makes sense. "It divides the school

system into two very clearly defined columns, education and operations,"

she said. And by promoting Oliver to the new position of deputy superintendent,

DeCotis will have more time to deal with the increasing demands of the

growing system.

"We think

the public will find everybody more accessible at the county office,"

Smola said. "Job duties are now clearly defined."

Other staffing

changes approved Monday night:

Louis Robinson,

who has been the principal at North Fayette Elementary for the last four

years, will replace Hardnett as principal of East Fayette. A replacement

for Robinson will be determined later this year.

A position

of Director of LEC (LaFayette Educational Center) is also being created

to help balance the workload of Perry, principal of the evening high school.

This job has not been assigned but will entail overseeing both the evening

high and community schools.

Tyrone Jones,

principal of Flat Rock Middle for the last four years, is moving to McIntosh

High as an assistant principal. A replacement for Jones will be selected

later this year.

Assistant principals

who are transferring their positions to other schools include John Bouchell

from Oak Grove Elementary to Starr's Mill High; Julie Turner from Starr's

Mill to Oak Grove; Sharon Walters from Huddleston Elementary to Crabapple

Lane Elementary and Audrey Toney from Flat Rock Middle to Starr's Mill.

Additionally,

Hood Avenue Primary Assistant Principal Patsy Slagle is resigning her

position to return as a classroom teacher. Assistant principals to replace

the positions vacated at Huddleston Elementary and Hood Avenue Primary

will be selected later this year.

In addition,

he board gave blanket approval to 113 "reclassifications" or

transfers at its Monday meeting, as well as accepting seven retirements,

53 resignations and two requests for maternity leave.

Another 34

new hires were approved, most to replace those who have retired or resigned,

and the contracts of 10 teachers who have not established tenure yet were

also OK'd.