The Lamar County School District Board of Trustees approved Superintendent Tess Smith’s immediate resignation during a special meeting Wednesday night, spending the next month with the schools as transition advisor.
The School Board also cleared the appointment of Dr. Steven Hampton as the superintendent until June 2023 at the current salary of $160,000 annually.
The moves were announced to the Lamar County school employees through an email released earlier Wednesday. No discussion about the decisions or resignation was discussed during the special meeting.
The board said in its release that it thanked Smith for her dedication and leadership.
“(It) regrets that she feels it is the time to step down from her role as superintendent,” the release said. “We will miss her many years of dedication to the district as a student, teacher, counselor, school administrator, and superintendent.”
Smith has been faced with a difficult 2020-21 year as schools have been forced to deal with the deadly pandemic situation for the first time, along with apparent racial tension among students.
In the past six years as superintendent, Smith has directed the expansion of the school district to more than 10,000 students, including adding Lumberton schools into the Lamar County system. The district has also consistently received “A” ratings from the Mississippi Department of Education.
“The board wants to thank Superintendent Smith for her tireless service to this district and for her success in leading the Lamar County District to consistently be one of the Top 10 school districts in the state,” the release said.
Hampton has been an educator for more than 22 years as a classroom teacher, career and technical center director, assistant principal, high school principal, and central office administrator. He received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Southern Mississippi.