— Limestone County school board members split Tuesday over a recommendation to transfer an unhappy student from Ardmore High School to West Limestone High School.

Superintendent Dr. Tom Sisk asked the board to approve the transfer during a special called meeting at the Clinton Street Courthouse Annex.

Before the vote, Sisk told board member he recommended transferring the student in the best interests of the health and safety of the student and the family.

Board member Earl Glaze questioned the recommendation, saying he had heard that the incident (which apparently occurred on a bus) was actually caused by the student seeking the transfer.

Sisk replied that had his recommendation been based on the incident on the bus he would have agreed to leave the child where he was. However, he said, his recommendation was based on the student’s file and statements from the student and his family.

Sisk told the board it was his job to analyze the situation and make the best determination.

“I’m asking the board to trust me to do that,” he said.

Sisk said his decision to recommend transfer met the hardship variance requirement in the current school transfer policy.

The superintendent also told board members that after attending a seminar on school violence in Decatur Tuesday, he believes he must consider the best interests of both the student seeking transfer and the students at the school. He said he would like to implement a program after Oct. 1 that would help make teachers and administrators more aware of what student behaviors could lead to violence. He proposes doing that by tapping about $5,000 in Title II (federal staff development funds) to bring in a national speaker on bullying.

In the end, both Glaze and board member James Shannon opposed the recommendation to move the student. Shannon said after the meeting that, in the past administration, the board had not moved other students in such situations and he feels it would not be fair to them if this student was treated differently.

Board President Darin Russell and board members Anthony Hilliard, Bret McGill and Charles Shoulders voted to accept the superintendent’s recommendation to move the student.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, the board voted 6-1 to hire one person and transfer another as part of the superintendent’s reorganization of the Central Office. The board agreed to hire Rhonda Stringham as executive director of curriculum. They agreed to transfer Zebbra Green from elementary curriculum director to executive director of human resources and operations. These two positions, which both pay $97,000, will take the place of the assistant superintendent’s post, while also requiring a few more duties. The assistant super post will not be filled.