by Jennifer Biller

STAFF WRITER

CLARKSBURG -- The Harrison County school board appointed two new principals Tuesday night and approved a second assistant principal position for Bridgeport High School.

For the second time in three months, the school board named a new principal for Liberty High School.

Dennis Zahradnik, the current assistant principal at Liberty, will take over for Principal David Book when he retires at the end of the year.

The board previously chose Shawn Trimble, the assistant principal at Musselman High School, for the job earlier this year. However, Trimble declined the position when it was offered, said Harrison County Schools Personnel Director Frank Devono.

Zahradnik has been the assistant principal at Liberty for seven years.

"It's going to be a huge change that's for sure," he said. "I'm excited, and I know there's a lot of work to be done. Mr. Book is a tough act to follow."

Frank Marino was named the new principal for Harden Elementary.

Marino is the assistant principal at Nutter Fort Primary. He will replace Harden Principal Richard Lantz, who takes over for retiring Principal Richard Nichols at Big Elm Elementary.

Marino has been the assistant principal at Nutter Fort Primary for 11 years. Leaving will be bittersweet, he said. Before that, he was principal at Wallace, Lost Creek and Pierpont elementary schools and Shinnston Intermediate.

"I'm really looking forward to working with the faculty and staff," Marino said. "I think they have a fine school. I'd like to continue that tradition."

The school board has now filled all the principal vacancies that were open, Devono said. The board will advertise for several assistant principal jobs next week, he said.

Students at Bridgeport High School will have two assistant principals next year. The board approved the extra position Tuesday, but has not filled the job yet, Devono said.

Parents and teachers have lobbied the school board for several years trying to get another administrator at the school.

In other business, the board approved an $828,060 bid for room additions to Salem Middle School. The school is being renovated to become the consolidated Salem Elementary School. The total funds available for the project are $1,100,000.

Flint Construction, Inc. was the low bidder. The bid will provide construction for four extra classrooms and sidewalks.

Mark Owens, owner of TMARO Corporation, asked the board to consider the bid option of building a preschool classroom along with the other four rooms. In that scenario, Owens' company was the low bidder.

The board did not choose that option because School Building Authority money cannot be used to pay for preschool construction, said Harrison County Schools Superintendent Carl Friebel. The room would cost $175,000 and would have to be paid for with local funds.

The board also:

- Approved a contract for GARMI, a third-party administrator for workers' compensation. The board's monthly fee will increase $200, but the projected savings is about $125,000 within the next three years.

- Swore in re-elected board members Wilson Currey and Doug Gray.

The board meets again today at 9 a.m. for a work session and to evaluate the superintendent's performance.

Staff writer Jennifer Biller can be reached at 626-1449 or by e-mail at jbiller@exponent-telegram.com.