By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA–Helena High School is finishing up it’s first full calendar year as a school and Principal Jay Peoples has helped give the school direction under his leadership.

On Thursday, April 23, at the Shelby County Board of Education meeting, the board recommended that Peoples be appointed to serve the role of High School Coordinator at the Shelby County Schools Central Office.

“I’m just really humbled,” said Peoples. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to get to work with a talented, sharp group of high school principals, almost all of whom I already have a great relationship with. I’m eager to get started and maybe most of all tonight, I’m grateful to be apart of a system that really embraces and embodies excellence.”

Peoples explained that he will work directly with Dr. Lynn Cook, assistant superintendant of instruction, and that he will help to ensure that Shelby County Schools high school programs will, instructionally and otherwise, be effectively implemented more closely.

“Primarily it’s an instructional position working closely with high school principals and staff to make sure that our programs are as good as they can be,” said Peoples.

According to the Shelby County Board of Education document, Peoples has worked in public education for 23 years and previously served as the principal of Chelsea High School before taking the same position at HHS.

Peoples will close the year out as principal at Helena High School and a search for his replacement will then take place.

Peoples was at Helena a year before the school officially opened through the construction phase and this year accounting for two years total and was very grateful for the opportunity.

“It’s been a tremendous opportunity and it’s bitter sweet to leave,” said Peoples. “Great people, great kids, great staff and a great community but this is a rare opportunity to be able to work district-wide with high school principals so I’m excited.”