The Poplarville School District will be creating several new positions to support virtual learning using emergency federal funding and the district will need to hire a new superintendent now that Konya Miller has submitted her resignation.

The district is receiving $1.7 million in a second round of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds to help meet the needs of students during the COVID-19 pandemic and to support virtual learning.

The district is creating several new positions that will be funded by the grant. There will be an ESSER Coordinator, virtual learning teachers and an educational technology property agent. All of the positions will be grant funded positions for at least two-years.

The district has doubled the amount of equipment on hand due to the increased virtual learning needs during the pandemic. As such, the district needs someone to track those items full time, said Superintendent Konya Miller, which is why an educational technology property agent is being hired.

There will be one virtual learning teacher at each campus in the district to oversee virtual learning, said Miller.

In a separate matter, the district’s Director of the Year was recognized during the regular Poplarville School Board meeting Monday. Technology Coordinator Jill Melton was recognized.

In the last year of the pandemic, Melton had to help with everything from running virtual school board meetings to purchase orders for new Chromebooks, said Miller.

“When something’s broken, generally Jill’s the one that has to step up and fix it,” said Miller.

Melton’s job has changed over the last year and it has become more clear than ever that skilled people like her are needed to assist the district with technology needs, said Miller.

“I’m just honored. We work with a terrific team here and we all work very hard together. I’m just honored, especially with the top-notch team I work with,” said Melton.

In a separate matter, Poplarville School District’s Superintendent Konya Miller gave her resignation to the Poplarville School Board Monday night. Miller’s last day will be June 30.

The next regular Board meeting will be May 10, 2021 in the board room at the district’s central office.