New Schools Director Makes Staff ‘Reassignments’

By Mac McLean
Reporter / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: July 2, 2008

BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. – On his first official day as Sullivan County’s new director of schools, Jack Barnes “reassigned” four top-level administrators in an effort he said would make the school system run more efficiently.

On Monday, he removed Evelyn Rafalowski, Deborah Morelock and Mary Rouse from their current positions as the system’s director of human resources, director of elementary education and supervisor of special education, respectively.

Barnes said the three women are free to apply for any other available position and are guaranteed a new job in the system because they are tenured employees.

Rafalowski will work as the system’s new supervisor for technology, transportation and athletics, though she will take a slight cut in pay with her new position. Barnes didn’t know what Morelock and Rouse have planned.

Deborah Morelock’s husband, Chris Morelock, was also removed from his position as the school system’s business manager on Monday. He is not a tenured employee because he has only worked with the system since March 3.

“There’s been some reassignment of duties,” Barnes said Tuesday as he explained the personnel cuts. “We’re just trying to tighten up the organization.”

He said the school system needs to make spending cuts as it deals with the rising cost of food and fuel. Because 75 to 80 percent of the school system’s budget goes toward personnel, he said some staff cuts are needed.

Barnes is shifting the duties previously assigned to the system’s director of elementary education – who supervises education for grades Pre-K to 5 – to the director of secondary education, who is responsible for grades 6 through 12.

He also cut the school system’s business manager position completely from this year’s budget and said he will split its duties among existing school employees and a fourth accountant the system will hire in the future.

Barnes said he hopes to hire a replacement for Rafalowski and Rouse before the school year starts in August. He will also hire a new administrator to keep the system accountable by monitoring its test scores and staff development.

“There’s a lot of challenges out there, and we’ll just have to meet them,” he said. “We’re going to have to do more with less.”

County School Board Chairman Jack Bales said Barnes has kept him abreast about his plans to cut system personnel. The two discussed the plans briefly on Monday, then again in more detail Tuesday morning.

“He’s the director of schools, and by law, has the authority to adjust personnel as he sees fit,” Bales said Tuesday, adding Barnes will send the remaining board members an e-mail explaining the cuts and why they were necessary.

None of the school system employees who were cut Monday could be reached for comment despite attempts made to contact them at home or work.

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