Cash new School Board Chairman; Siers gets new contract; Masks for students up to parents

Dr. Paige Cash is the new chairman of the Pulaski County School Board, following a vote of the board Tuesday.

Former chairman Timmy Hurst placed Cash’s name in nomination and the board’s vote was unanimous.

Hurst was then elected as vice chairman for the coming year.

New Contract

Also at its meeting Tuesday, the board approved a new four-year contract for School Superintendent Dr. Kevin Siers.

The contract runs from July 1, 2022 until June 30, 2026.

Siers was first hired in 2016 for three years and received a new four-year deal in early 2019. That contract was to run for four years and would have expired on June 30, 2023.

Masks

Also Tuesday, the board voted to follow  the Executive Order No. 2 of Governor Glenn Youngkin and make mask wearing in county schools optional starting Monday, Jan. 24.

The decision whether students will wear masks in schools will be based on parent discretion.

Mask wearing will, however, continue to be required on school buses.

We’ll have more on these stories and more in our print edition later this week.

By MIKE WILLIAMS, The Patriot