Cynthia Milons, left, and Morgan Abraham shortly after being approved by the SOCSD Board of Trustees as principals of Overstreet Elementary School and Sudduth Elementary School, respectively. (Photo by, Charlie Benton, SDN)
The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District welcomed two new administrators Thursday.
In a special called meeting on Thursday, the school board approved the hire of Morgan Abraham as principal of Sudduth Elementary School and Cynthia Milons as principal of Overstreet Elementary School by a 4-0 vote with board assistant secretary Sumner Davis absent.
Milons has served as Overstreet’s interim principal since fall 2018, taking the position when former Overstreet Principal Timothy Bourne was named the district’s director of accountability, accreditation and assessment. She holds bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degrees from Mississippi State University. Abraham comes to the district from the Tupelo Public School District, where she currently serves as assistant principal of Rankin Elementary School. She started her career as a third grade teacher in Vicksburg in 2008, and has worked in Tupelo since 2012. She holds a bachelor’s from MSU, a master’s from Alcorn State University and a specialist degree from Delta State University. She will fill the shoes of retiring Sudduth Principal Elizabeth Mosley. Both administrators will step into their new roles in July.
“We’ve been doing a lot of great things at Overstreet, and that will continue,” Milons said. “My goal is for all students to be successful, for the families to shine, teachers to shine, and just to have a positive effect in Starkville.”
Milons grew up in Starkville, and attended Overstreet herself in the second and third grades.
“To have the opportunity to be the leader there, the principal there is absolutely a blessing, and I appreciate it,” Milons said.
Milons began her career in education as an English teacher and girl’s basketball coach at the former East Oktibbeha County High School in 2005. She became an English teacher at SHS in 2009, serving s the schools lead teacher in 2017.
Abraham said she was looking forward to meeting her students, teachers and staff. A native of Tupelo, she said her husband grew up in Starkville.
“I really have a passion for early school learning in the lower grades, kindergarten, first grade, pre-K,” Abraham said. “This is an opportunity to lead a school in those grade areas. Also, my husband’s family is from here. He grew up here, so just getting back to his hometown was really appealing to us.”
She said she hoped her students would love coming to school every day, and have a “joy for learning.”
Superintendent Eddie Peasant said 45 people in total applied for the positions, from which nine finalists were selected. He said the two new administrators were both high-energy leaders with a strong love for children,
“I think they both showed us their abilities to understand the academic, as well as the social needs of our students, and they both understand how to utilize data to individualize and personalize instruction for students,” Peasant said. “Also, we felt like these two leaders would be strong, positive influences for our teachers and our faculty and staff in these buildings.”
Peasant also emphasized the importance of quality principals to a school district.
“All of our buildings go, as the leader of the buildings go,” Peasant said. “It’s important that we have leaders who love children, and who are also capable of creating a culture that will encourage our children to love school."