W. O. Wright resignation as county superintendent becomes effective June 30
Accepted by board of education at called meeting Thursday night
Several seek place
W. O. Wright, superintendent of Union County schools since July 1, 1930, handed in his resignation at a called meeting of the Board of Education here Thursday night. The resignation was accepted and the board’s action will be ratified at its regular meeting in June.
The resignation, a surprise in most quarters, came as a climax to the pending legal action over the status of Mr. Wright as county superintendent. At its April meeting the board voted to bring in 1937 erred in accepting his resignation and reelecting him for a period of four years all in the same period of four years all in the same motion. Judge Blackwell heard arguments in the case at an injunction proceeding two weeks ago, but had not given a decision prior to the resignation of Mr. Wright.
Operating smoothly until last year, the county school system became the object of much public interest when Mr. Wright and his board started carrying out provisions of a consolidation program recommended by the State Department of Education. Communities affected protested the merger of their schools with others, and the heated controversies that followed had a definite bearing on the outcome of board member election, the “anti” slate of three members won by a large margin over the slate backed by the county superintendent.
It was one of the new members, H. A. Briscoe, who questioned the 1937 action of the board in electing Mr. Wright for a four-year term when he had two years remaining on his old term. The legal test followed the adoption of a motion made by Mr. Briscoe that the courts be used to determine the status of the superintendent.
At the May session Superintendent Wright openly broke with his board over the naming of successor to Fred Shultz as principal of the Sturgis schools. Board members from Sturgis, with one exception, expressed a desire to name W. T. McGraw to the vacancy, but the superintendent refused to make the recommendation at that meeting, and the board later took the matter in its own hands and elected Mr. McGraw by a vote of 11 to 1.
While Mr. Wright resignation becomes effective June 30, 1938, the board employed him to serve in an advisory capacity during July and August at his current salary of $225.
Bruner, Jarred, get high rating
Pupils of Goodwin Thomason, Morganfield high school band director fared well in the completion at the Kentucky High School Music Festival at Lexington Thursday and Friday.
Ida Elizabeth Jarred, a freshman, won superior ratings for their flute and saxophone numbers, and became eligible for the regional contests to be held at Louisville late this month. The superior rating is the highest awarded.
Ida Elizabeth also received an excellent rating on piccolo. Clifton Siggler, an eighth grade pupil, won two excellent ratings on bass horn and bassoon. Ratings of good were given Florence Harris. French horn Nancy Young, clarinet, and Matt Waller Sugg. Baritone. David Bratcher, Jennie Ruth Gayle and Charlene Walker were accorded average ratings.
The pupils of Mr. Thomson competed with those from Louisville, Lexington, Danville, Ashland and all the larger high schools in the state.
Mrs. W. B. Harris chaperoned the group to Lexington. Others who attended were K. G. Gillaspie, Mr. Thomason and Mayor Waller Young.
