Tatham named principal at Andrews Elementary School

    Andrews – Andrews Elementary School has a new principal.
    Sarah Tatham, assistant principal at Andrews High School and a former Andrews Elementary teacher, was approved by the Cherokee County Board of Education on Thursday night. She started her new position Monday.
    “The energy in elementary school is amazing,” Tatham said on her first day. “I am thrilled to be a part of this school.”
    She has already seen many familiar faces and was ready to board buses to help deliver food to students. Tatham said she loves “the little ones.”
    Tatham, who has 21 years of experience in education, earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education and special education from Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. She earned a master’s degree in school administration from Western Carolina
University.
    She last taught at Andrews Elementary four years ago, when she was an exceptional education teacher. She was assistant principal at the high school for two years.
    Tatham is a resident of Andrews and has three boys. They all went to Andrews Elementary, and today are students at Andrews Middle and Andrews High schools.
    Tatham is the wife of Jeff Tatham, chairman of the board of education. He abstained from voting on the decision.
    Dr. Jeana Conley, superintendent of county schools, said the district took applications for the position for two weeks. While there were other applicants, “(Tatham) was the strongest candidate.”
    Tatham said her husband typically doesn’t share information with her from board meetings. He followed procedure in allowing Conley to inform her Friday that she had been promoted.
    According to the state salary schedule, the base principal salary for Andrews Elementary was $71,531 for the 2019-20 fiscal year. Chief Financial Officer Stephanie Hass said it is uncertain how principal salaries will be calculated in the coming year due to the coronavirus eliminating measures for
principals.
    Tatham’s salary as an 11-month assistant principal was $56,287.
    Andrews Elementary’s former principal, Melissa Godfrey, is now principal at Hayesville Elementary School. Tatham said she has been in contact with Godfrey to ensure a smooth transition.