STARKVILLE — The Starkville School District board of trustees Thursday named new principals for Armstrong Middle School and Sudduth Elementary during a special call meeting at the Greensboro Center.
Elizabeth Mosley, who has served as principal of Sudduth Elementary School since 1998, will take over July 1 as principal of Armstrong Middle School. Mosley replaces former Principal Joseph Stone, who resigned this spring to become pastor at Second Baptist Church.
The school board on Thursday also promoted Sudduth Vice Principal Lisa Thompson to fill the newly vacated principal”s position at Sudduth.
Superintendent Judy Couey said she is confident Mosley has the “experience, know-how and talent” to serve as principal of Armstrong Middle.
“Libby Mosley has both the experience and knowledge base needed to step into the middle school setting,” Couey said in a statement. “I am confident that her leadership abilities will set new standards in achievement for our district.”
Couey shared a similar sentiment about Thompson.
“In moving Ms. Mosley to her new position, I did not want to lose the success formula she has created for Sudduth,” Couey said. “Lisa Thompson is a veteran educator that will not miss a step in continuing the traditions and practices of our premier elementary school.”
Mosley began her educational career in 1976 as a librarian at Sudduth. Eventually, Mosley moved to Houston, Texas, where from 1982 to 1998 she worked as a librarian, assistant principal, dean of instruction and principal.
Mosley came back to the Starkville School District in 1998, where she served as principal at Sudduth until this year.
“I appreciate the confidence Mrs. Couey and the board have shown in me, and I am extremely excited about the opportunity to go to Armstrong Middle School,” Mosley said. “I was a middle school administrator in Houston, Texas, for 10 years with a school of 1,700 sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, and loved every minute of it. I am truly looking forward to the challenging and exciting new school year.”
Thompson began her career in education in 1987 when she took a job as a seventh-grade teacher at Armstrong Middle, where she served until 1996. Thompson became an elementary teach at Sudduth in 1997 and served in that role until she became reading facilitator at the school in 2006.
Thompson was promoted to vice principal at Sudduth in 2008 and served two years directly under Mosley.
“For the past 11 years, I have watched and learned from Libby Mosley,” Thompson said. “She has set the tone for excellence at Sudduth Elementary. I look forward to the challenge of maintaining that level, and I pray that God will guide me in making the best decisions for our students, our school and our district.”
Couey hopes to fill the vacant vice principal position at Sudduth before the beginning of the school year. The SSD will try to fill the position with an employee who already works in the district, she said.
“Then, if we”re not successful in finding the best person for the job, we”ll advertise the position,” Couey said
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