Greenville Middle School principal Catherine Tanner is headed to the central office campus of Bright Beginnings and Georgiana principal Bryant Marlow will be taking her place at Greenville Middle School.

The administrative reshuffling was detailed during the Butler County Board of Education’s special called meeting Tuesday evening.

Superintendent Amy Bryan said that the voluntary transfer of Tanner and Marlow would aid in the transition of her successor, Dr. Strycker, and his arrival on July 1.

Marlow echoed Bryan’s sentiments, noting that Strycker played a key role in orchestrating the reshuffling. Its purpose was to fill a vacancy that been long since neglected.

“With Dr. Tera Simmons leaving, there were a lot of vacancies left,” Marlow said. “Dr. Simmons had a wide range of duties—everything from curriculum to being the administrator of Bright Beginnings… you name it. So those positions were never filled.

“We were trying to make it to the end of the year and then have the new superintendent come in, because Mrs. Bryan knew she was going to be on her way out. Dr. Strycker came in and started moving the pieces to where he felt that it would be the best fit for the district. So he came to me and asked me if I would be willing to go to Greenville Middle School with Mrs. Tanner taking over administration at Bright Beginnings, and I told him ‘absolutely.’”

Though the announcement was sudden, the transition itself has been in the works for months.

Marlow said that the current plans could’ve begun as early as late February when Strycker was officially named the system’s next superintendent.

“When he was approved for superintendent, even though his actual start date isn’t until July 1, he was down here trying to get his hands on Butler County so that we won’t be behind the eight ball for the start of the upcoming year—all while he was still managing his district in Michigan,” Marlow added.

As for Marlow’s own move, he said that he would be tough leaving a close-knit community such as Georgiana’s that he had grown to love during the past three years.

But as a former teacher and principal at Greenville Elementary School, and an assistant principal at Greenville High School, reentering the Greenville ecosystem of schools would be a great opportunity.

“Leaving Georgiana is bittersweet,” he said. “Those people down there are a great group of people. Georgiana is moving in the right direction, and I just hope that whoever comes in as their leader continues moving forward and being involved in the community, and ultimately that they care for the kids.”

The storm of uncertainty looming over Georgiana won’t remain for very long, however. The process for finding a new principal has already begun, and a candidate may be named in as little as a month.

“Applicants have already started to apply,” Marlow said. “Mrs. Tina Powell will begin pulling applicants and start setting up interviews in about two weeks to fill that vacancy. So hopefully we can hurry up and get somebody in place around the July 1 so that Georgiana won’t be put behind the eight-ball, as well.”