Contact: Lisa Deffendall • First Posted: Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Fayette County Schools Superintendent Stu Silberman is happy to announce the appointment of three principals who will head the district’s new elementary schools. The schools are under construction and scheduled to open this fall.

Sandy Mefford has been named principal for Sandersville Elementary School. Ms. Mefford currently serves as principal at Linlee Elementary and has been with the district for 14 years.

“Not a lot of people get the opportunity to close an old school and open a new facility,” she said.

She received her bachelor’s in elementary education from Lincoln Memorial University and her master’s in elementary education and principal certification from Eastern Kentucky University.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to move an already great school into a new facility that will allow our students to reach their potential,” she said. “My vision is to be the top-performing school in the state and district.”

Ms. Mefford has two sons.

Vickie Burke, the current principal at Julia R. Ewan Elementary School, has been named the principal of Liberty Elementary. She has been with the district for 22 years and has served as a principal for nine years.

Ms. Burke received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Spalding College and her master’s in elementary education and principal certification from the University of Kentucky.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to be part of a school that will be known for excellence in student achievement,” she said. “My goal is to make Liberty Elementary one of the top five elementary schools in the district.”

Ms. Burke has two adult children who graduated from Tates Creek High.

Yvonne Peace, the current professional staff assistant at Ashland Elementary School, has been named principal for William Wells Brown Elementary. She has been with the district for nine years. This will be her first job as a principal.

She received her bachelor’s in elementary education and in business administration from North Carolina Central University. She obtained her master’s in educational administration and principal certification from Western Kentucky University.

Ms. Peace worked as an accountant before becoming an educator. She changed careers after volunteering in a classroom for two years.

“I found myself having more fun at school than at my real job,” she said. “That’s what made me go back to school to become a teacher. I feel strongly that this is what I was meant to do.”

A second generation educator, she hopes to forge a strong relationship between the school and the community it will serve. One of her first goals is to give a positive identity to the school.

“I hope the students are proud to come to school every day where they can perform well and where people expect them to.”

Ms. Peace and her husband, Charles, who is a full-time member of the Kentucky National Guard, are the proud parents of a puppy named “Tubby.”

Sandersville Elementary will replace Linlee Elementary and will cost $17.5 million.

Liberty Elementary will replace Julia R. Ewan Elementary. The facility will cost $14.5 million.

William Wells Brown Elementary will replace Johnson Elementary and the old Russell Elementary. The facility will cost $15 million.

All three schools are scheduled to open this fall.