Two empty principal seats were filled when the Newton County Board of Education voted unanimously to approve principal hires at Heard-Mixon Elementary and Liberty Middle schools.

Marquita Wilkins, currently serving as interim principal at Heard-Mixon following former principal Lee Peck's move to central office, will assume the principal's role full time next year. She has been at HMES for four years as the assistant principal and three years as an instructional coach at the school. She has 18 years of experience in education, including one year as a paraprofessional and 10 years as a teacher.

She earned her bachelor's degree in early childhood education from Georgia Southwestern University and her master's degree and educational specialist degree in elementary education from Troy State University. She also has a reading endorsement from Georgia Southwestern University and a certificate in educational leadership from the University of West Georgia.

Current assistant principal at Flint Hill Elementary School Keisa Taylor will take over as principal of Liberty Middle School next year.

For the last six years she has served as an assistant principal split between three schools - Flint Hill, Palmer Stone and Veterans Memorial Middle. She was also an assistant principal in Jasper County and taught middle school in Butts County. She has 12 years of experience in education.

Taylor holds a bachelor's degree in middle grades education from Mercer University, a master's degree in management and administration of educational programs from Nova Southeastern University, and an educational specialist degree from Argosy University.

"...Both candidates are student-centered, very skilled, well-trained and capable of leading-for-learning in our school system and come highly recommended by their past supervisors," said NCSS Superintendent Gary Mathews. "I look forward to their successful service as principal in NCSS."