A well known and often used quote “the only constant in life is change” could definitely be applied to the Hartselle City School system in the past few months. While the completion of the new high school had been in the planning stages for several months, the move in date had been up in the air since the beginning of the new calendar year. Nevertheless, this was probably thought to be the biggest change that would occur, with the students and faculty moving to the Bethel Street campus during the middle of a semester. Following that move, change would occur in the Fall of 2013 with seventh and eighth grade students moving into the old high school and fifth graders would move into the junior high, which would become Hartselle Intermediate School. In addition, a new principal would need to be hired for this school.

Now to many this would seem like a lot of change, which it is. However, the administration and school board were dealing with the completion of the high school and determining when the big move would take place, but things were moving along pretty well. Excitement was growing and plans were in place to make the big move.

But, as in the quote, change is constant. Certified School Financial Officer Sarita Tapscott turned in her resignation in order to take the same position with the newly formed Alabaster school system. Still things were moving along in stride. The board hired an organization to seek out applicants and the search for a new CSFO had begun.

But then that six letter word reared its head again. Superintendent Mike Reed announced his decision to retire at the end of June of this year. After listening to recommendations and debating actions, the board followed the advice of Sandra Sims de-Graffenried and move forward with the hiring of a new superintendent and having them on board by mid-July 2013. While the board considered having Dr. Nancy Horton, current director of instruction and special programs, serve as interim superintendent, they instead decided to take the plunge and hired another firm to conduct the superintendent search.

While many organizations and boards might want to bury their heads in the sand and wait for the storm to clear, the system has moved forward, students are in the new school, interviews for the CSFO have taken place, and the search for a new superintendent is well on the way. But don’t get too comfortable, there are a lot of days left in the year.

Randy Garrison is the president and publisher of the Hartselle Enquirer.