Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Barnes and McCauley announce retirements

The Prescott School Board has approved the resignations of two long-time district employees and the hiring of a girls basketball coach. The actions came during a special board meeting called Thursday, April 12.

Jamye Barnes is the principal of McRae Middle School and has been a district employee for 28 years. Deon said Barnes gave no reason for her decision to resign from the position.

Shes been thinking about it for awhile, Deon said.

Im going to travel and enjoy life, Barnes said during a telephone interview Friday.

The second resignation approved by the board was Judy McCauley who is the McRae Middle School. She said McCauley has been with the district 38 years.

Ms. McCauley and I have worked as a team and I cant feature working without her, Barnes said. Its time for us to take a rest.

McCauley said she has no specific plans.

Im going to enjoy life some more, she said.

She said shell miss the kids and fellow teachers and workers, but wont miss the schedules and tests.

Deon said both Barnes and McCauley are key positions in the district, and that both will be missed. She said the moment of accepting the resignations was bittersweet.

They have touched so many lives in this community, Deon said.

Deon said the district will advertise the positions for the next two weeks and then will begin the interview process.

And we hope to replace them immediately.

On the subject of the basketball coach, Deon recommended the hiring of a former Prescott coach who is now coaching a rival team.

Cicily Butler worked as a girls basketball coach in Prescott from 1994-97. Since her departure from Prescott, she has coached girls basketball in Genoa Central. Deon said Butler is a graduate of Murfreesboro.

The district has been without a coach for the girls team during the 2006-07 school year after firing former coach ?????

Weve been working short handed, Deon said.

She said teacher Kelly Farris has picked up some of the slack and the rest of the girls coaching duties have fallen to whomever was available. The lack of a girls coach has meant that the team was squeezed together with other teachers and coaches when necessary.

Butler is slated to begin work in Prescott for the 2007-08 school year.