By Jason C. Mattox

The North Panola School District will welcome its third conservator in six months when Dr. Oscar Love comes to the district in mid-June.

Current interim conservator Glenn Swann said all conservators are appointed on an interim basis.

“Conservators are appointed from January to June,” he said. “When I was at the last state board of education meeting, the decisions were made to switch some conservators around.”

Swann said he will become interim conservator at Hazelhurst School District July 1.

“The conservator in Hazelhurst is leaving the conservatorship, and I have been appointed to replace him,” he said. “From a standpoint of having people that are closer to the area, it makes perfect sense.”

According to Swann, Love will be in the district June 15 and the two will work together until the end of the month.

“We have a lot of projects that we are in the middle of, and I will be able to help him become familiar with community,” he said.

“This has been a good positive experience, and I expect the progress we have made to continue,” Swann added.

Swann said some of the ongoing projects include the bus shop, athletic upgrades and more.

“I had hoped that we would have the bus shop groundbreaking before I leave, but it doesn’t look like that is going to happen,” he said. “But we do think we will be ready to accept bids in the near future.”

The North Panola Bus Shop burned January 23, and the district began the bid process for reconstruction last Monday night during a meeting of the board of trustees.

The North Panola School District has been under conservatorship since May, 2008 when then state superintendent Dr. Hank Bounds appointed Robert Strebeck as conservator.

Strebeck served in that capacity until three months ago when he resigned the position citing personal reasons for the departure.

Swann has been in the district for approximately 90 days.

“This district is improving, and I fully expect the transition between myself and Dr. Love to be mostly seamless,” he said.

Swann said the future of community liaison Howard Sanders remains unclear.

“There are some personal matters he is tending to, but if those things go well, I think he might stick around for a while,” he said. “He is very good working with this community.”