Marietta City Schools Athletic Director Hannah Kroft talked to the Board of Education Monday night about two open coaching positions in the district and talks with Marietta College about improving and leasing their tennis courts for student athletes. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

MARIETTA – The Marietta City Schools Board of Education voted Monday night to accept the proposal to name Garrett Davis as the next principal at Marietta High School.

Davis said he was excited to begin the school year and get students back into class.

“Our staff is phenomenal,” Davis said. “I really do believe it’s one of the best staffs in the area, and we’ve added a lot of new pieces that are going to be really good for our students and our families. I’m just ready for school to start to get the ball rolling, so that we can put some of this stuff into motion and get our kids back and start building what it means to be a Marietta Tiger.”

Davis has been in the acting vice principal role since January and was an English Language Arts and social studies interventionist before that.

Before the board could vote on the appointment, board member John Lehman made a motion to go into executive session to discuss the promotion of a public employee. Lehman did not return with the board a short time later. Board President Cody Parman said due to policy he could not comment on what was said during the session or on why Lehman did not return.

Newly appointed Athletic Director Hannah Kroft gave the board an update on coaching positions and tennis facilities.

Kroft said she has two positions open with one being the girl’s basketball position and the other the girl’s track coach position. She said she would begin interviews for those open positions next week.

“We’ve had quite a bit of people interested,” Krost said. “So I’m excited to get into that.”

Kroft also said she’s been working with Marietta College to use and upgrade their tennis facilities for the high school tennis program and community use. She said the college no longer has a tennis team and there has been a decline in the area for places the public could go to play.

“So the college and I were very interested in getting some things going so that will also be a future improvement,” Kroft said. “We currently lease it with the college with a seasonal lease. We lease it in the fall, and then we also lease it in the spring. If we were to do this, we’re thinking about a 20- to 30-year lease contract.”

She said student athletes would have access free of charge but that there would be a membership fee for the community to have access to the facility.

“We’re talking about creating six new tennis courts and then four pickleball courts,” Kroft said. “So it’s more of a community based project, but it’ll benefit our high school athletes as well.”

This was the last meeting Alison Woods would be serving as acting superintendent with Mary Shaeffer taking over Aug. 1. Board member Sam Tuten praised Woods for stepping up and filling that role along with others who have done so in the district this year.

“Thank you, from the bottom of my heart,” Tuten said. “I appreciate you very much. I respect you very much. You deserve a lot more than we’re able to provide you, but I’m super thrilled about your leadership, the things you do.”

Parmen echoed his comments.

“You guys really stepped up and helped us in a year with a lot of twists and turns and kept some stability in this district,” Parman said.

The next regular meeting of the board is scheduled for Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. at 111 Academy Dr. The meeting is open to the public and will be streamed online.