The Troy City Schools Board of Education approved seven personnel changes during a called meeting Tuesday morning.

The sole item on the agenda was the approval of the personnel recommendations, which included four non-renewals of contracts and three transfers of employees. The recommendations were approved unanimously.

“Some of these positions are ones we hired last year to help with test scores,” said Superintendent Lee Hicks.

The non-renewals included Michelle Hicks, special education teacher at Troy Elementary School; Tamara Stephens, science teacher at Charles Henderson High School; Amanda Simmons, bookkeeper at Charles Henderson High School; and Delynn Bouldin, special education coordinator at the central office.

Bouldin transferred to the central office for the 2011-12 school year after serving one year as principal at Charles Henderson Middle School.

“If we’re expecting cuts in the schools we have to cut here in the central office as well,” Hicks said. “We have to make sure we’re here to support the schools.”

The transfers include Dyneshia Jones, from PE teacher at TES to PE/health teacher at CHHS; Kay Pierce, from health teacher at CHHS to PE teacher at TES; and Stacy Carpenter, from a 12-month counselor position at CHMS to a 10-month position.

“Some of these transfers are just working to get the people in the right location,” Hicks said.

Jones and Pierce are essentially swapping positions. Carpenter, who was tenured as a 10-month counselor at CHMS, had moved during the 2011-12 year to a 12-month position. The transfer gives the school two 10-month counselors.

“However, we need a 12-month counselor and a 10-month counselor. We’ll have to advertise for a 12-month position and I expect we’ll have plenty of applications for it. We’ll hire the best qualified person for the job,” Hicks said.

Hicks said attrition has allowed the district to move several teachers on staff into other positions as teachers retired or left this year.

The district has advertised for open K-sixth grade positions and expects to have those filled by mid-June. He said the vacancies created by Tuesday’s actions also would be advertised.