Permanent changes in administration are in store for Natchez High School – but not until school board members agree on who should be principal. A motion to name ninth-grade principal Bobby Brown interim principal of Natchez High School died during Thursday’s school board meeting for lack of a second.

Brown would have replaced Principal Brenda Williams, who told school district in September she wanted to work elsewhere in the district at the end of the school year, said school board President Kenneth Taylor.

Taylor said he personally did not have a problem with the change, unlike some of his fellow board members.

&uot;One board member considered the morale (problem) with the change of principal in the middle of a school year,&uot; Taylor said. &uot;(And) one board member was concerned (with the) acceptance of Mr. Brown as principal by all the faculty and staff.&uot;

The motion followed a decision by the board to accept the retirement of Gerald Horn, director of operations, at the end of the month.

With that vacancy in mind, the motion that died also included placing Williams in Horn’s position effective Feb. 1.

&uot;(Williams) said she didn’t want to retire,&uot; Taylor said. &uot;She wanted to be moved.&uot;

The district then recommended reconfiguring the remaining four principals at Natchez High School, naming Brown as interim principal and moving another district employee into the fifth vacant spot.

&uot;Some (board members) believed that was too much change,&uot; just because Horn had decided to retire, Taylor said. &uot;I disagree. I don’t believe that was too much change.

Taylor said he would have seconded the motion himself, but he is not permitted to do so while acting as board president.

Brown, who was has been employed as the ninth-grade principal since 1999, was satisfied with the board’s decision Thursday. &uot;I serve a board. I’m fine with the board’s decision,&uot; Brown said. &uot;I enjoy working with ninth-graders. It’s a great program.&uot;

The board recessed instead of adjourning Thursday night so it could discuss the issue again at an undetermined date later this month.