Education

Shelby County Public Schools added two new principals to the ranks this week, with J.J. Black leaving Painted Stone to take over at Heritage and John Leeper being hired from Carroll County High School lead Collins High School.

As principal at Carroll County, Leeper saw the school become one of 40 Bronze Medal Schools, as recognized in U.S. News and World Reportmagazine.

But he won’t stop there with his new school.

Although Saturday will be filled with graduation parties, gifts and cards, there won’t be any graduation ceremonies that day.

Because Shelby County Public Schools still has one more day of school left on Monday, this weekend will be commencement ceremony weekend instead of graduation weekend. Diplomas will have to wait until after Monday.

However, the schools are still abuzz with activity, commencement practices are filling afternoons Thursday and today, and hotels are booked.

Wright Elementary School’s Site-Based Decision-Making Council has named Bethany Groves the new principal for the school, the school district announced.

Groves has five years of experience in administration, most recently in Jacksonville, Fla., at Hickory Creek Elementary.

A 1982 graduate of Shelby County High School, Groves has degrees from Ohio University and Northern Kentucky University and her Phase 1 doctoral work from Indiana University/Purdue University Indianapolis.

Shelby County Public Schools is going to have a lot of hiring to do this summer.

Karen Downs and Steven Rucker, principals of Clear Creek and Heritage elementary schools, respectively, have told administrators they will not return next year.

Adding them to the three principals — Collins High School’s Anthony Hatchell, East Middle’s Christine Powell and Wright Elementary’s Lynn Gottbrath — who announced their retirements earlier this year, it means the district will be searching for new principals at five of its nine schools.