Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Board member resigns, hired as teacher at CMS

A member of the Gurdon School Board has resigned and is now employed as a teacher at Cabe Middle School.

Jon Capps, who was elected to the Gurdon School Board in September, submitted his resignation to the board during its November meeting. The board accepted the resignation unanimously, according to Gurdon Supt. Bobby Smithson.

During the same meeting, Smithson said the board agreed to hire Capps to teach seventh and eighth grade science. This position was left vacant after the board accepted the resignation of Capps brother, Charles Capps, in its October meeting.

Smithson said Capps is not currently a certified science teacher, but he has enrolled in the master of arts in teaching program at Henderson State University to obtain his middle school science credentials. The Arkansas Department of Education has approved the plan.

Capps has only one year to complete the MAT program or he will have to relinquish his teaching position. Smithson said it is hoped that he completes the work by the end of the summer so that he can be re-employed by the district next year.

The school board is now faced with the task of filling the open position on the board. Smithson said the board should address the issue and possibly appoint someone at its Dec. 19 meeting. The new appointee will serve until the 2007 school elections.