news-record.com

Guilford County Schools added another public relations person to their department, despite a hiring freeze. The new hire fills the position left by the promotion of Haley Miller, the system's number one news face. It's a lower level position, communications specialist or something to that effect.

Superintendent Mo Green instituted the hiring freeze last month for all positions after it was announced the system would need to return about $5 million to the state. That number has lowered to over $3 million. Green revised the freeze last week to,

"Instituting a hiring freeze for non-instructional positions. Exceptions will be made on rare occasions only with the permission of the following administrators: the Chief of Staff, the Chief Administrative Officer, the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Academic Officer."

The three other classified appointments are a bus driver, assistant teacher and something called an SNS manager for Gibsonville Elementary. Haven't figured out what that is yet.

So was hiring another PR person appropriate? They seem to stay pretty busy, I know I ask a lot of those folks with information requests and all. Then again, it seems like a bad time to hire anyone.

--UPDATE-- Miller says the hire was done before the hiring freeze.