“It has been a goal of mine since I got back into teaching,” Lovett said. “I am just glad that the board had the confidence in me to give me the opportunity.”

Lovett was enroute to an out-of-town meeting when his cell phone rang, and he said he immediately turned around to head back home as the excitement was overwhelming.

“I was very excited,” Lovett said. “It is a great opportunity to give back to the community and the county.”

Lovett’s job as principal will expire at the end of the school year, and he will begin his new position July 1. He said he understands it will take an adjustment period before he gets a full grasp on the job.

“Obviously there is a big learning curve of leaving a school building and going to the central office,” Lovett said. “That is a tremendous amount to learn and it is a great opportunity to have Ruth Etta Buchanan (interim superintendent) around to help me through the transition. She is a great resource, and she has done a great job.”

Lovett said there is really only one goal he has in mind for his position – to continue to help make Marshall County’s schools the best they can be.

“As far as goals, my goal is the same as it has always been,” Lovett said. “We take pride in Marshall County School System. We want to be the best, no matter what we are doing. That continues to be the goal, and we will set small goals to get there, but that is the ultimate goal.”

Lovett moving up to the central office will naturally leave an open position at the high school. Lovett said a new principal should be put in place by May.

“We will accept applications at a minimum of 30 days, or maybe longer,” Lovett said. “I am sure there will be some great qualified candidates within the system and some outside the system. We will go through those applications and narrow down the candidates, and the site-based council ultimately makes that decision.”