ROARING SPRING -- Members of the Spring Cove School Board welcomed the new Central High School principal at Monday's meeting.
Deborah Oakes -- who started July 6 -- will take over for current high school Principal Stephanie Thompson. Thompson's last day is Aug. 3.
A graduate of Shippensburg University, Oakes has strong ties to central Pa. and has more than 20 years of experience in education. She has worked at the Isle of Wight County Schools, Alexandria City Public Schools and most recently at the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, all in Virginia.
Living in the Hampton Roads area for the last 28 years, she said Central's security is amazing.
"I've never had a panic button," she said to the board. "I've been in schools when we try to get them, and I've worked in much larger numbers, and I'm really impressed by a lot of the things you're doing here."
Acting Superintendent Steven Foor said it was great that Oakes and Thompson could collaborate this month to ensure a smooth transitional period in the district.
"We're happy to have her," he said.
Meanwhile, the board is still searching for a superintendent, and the job advertisements are open until July 22, Foor said. Once applications are submitted, the board will review them and begin interviews.
They held an executive session about the superintendent search following Monday's voting meeting. It was the board's first meeting without former Superintendent Betsy Baker.
In other news, the board unanimously approved allocating $500,000 from the district's general fund balance to its capital projects fund.
The transfer follows the board's approval to take 1% of the district's 2% tax increase to the capital projects fund for future building consolidation projects.
Because the state budget was approved on Sunday, Foor said the district received their preliminary numbers for the 2026-27 school year.
The numbers were really close to what they expected, with smaller increases in Basic Education Funding and Special Education Funding and additional funds in the Ready to Learn adequacy funding formula, he said. The district will know more once details are finalized.
Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.