Ward Thigpen has been named principal at Georgiana School.

The Butler County Board of Education voted unanimously at a special called meeting Thursday night to approve the hire.

Thigpen, who had been an assistant principal at Greenville High School, replaces Joseph Dean who was named Greenville High School’s principal at the BOE’s regular meeting July 21.

“This was an easy decision,” Butler County Schools Superintendent Darren Douthitt said. “Mr. Thigpen has all the qualities necessary for principalship. There’s a firm foundation that has been built at Georgiana and I believe he will build on it. I have every confidence in his ability to do the job.”

Douthitt elected to move Dean from Georgiana to Greenville and Ward to Georgiana rather than promoting Ward to Greenville’s principal because he said the current arrangement better suits the two administrators’ abilities.

“This was a better fit,” Douthitt said.

The BOE also approved the hire of both Bryant Marlow and Barry Gross as assistant principals at Greenville High School.

In other business:

The BOE voted to proceed with its evaluation of Superintendent Douthitt. No discussion related to the evaluation occurred at Thursday’s meeting.

“At this point we have permission to proceed, and we’ll hold that evaluation in an open meeting,” Butler County Board of Education President Linda Hamilton said.