Longtime Putnam County Schools educator Doug Pitzer has been named                                the first Principal of                                    the new Teays Valley                            Elementary School.                                   Pitzer has 13 years of                            experience in the                                   district and is the                                 Principal of Rock                                     Branch Elementary                                  School.

Superintendent of                                   Schools Harold "Chuck" Hatfield recommended Pitzer for the position. He will be participating in the planning process for the new school which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2008. As that happens Pitzer will continue to lead the staff and students at Rock Branch.

Translation, Pitzer will be one of the busiest people in Putnam County during the next year.

"It's extremely exciting," says Pitzer. "It will be challenging. I've always been very student focus with emphasis on academics. We have two communities to blend together. WE will be bringing the Scott Teays and West Teays students and it will be my job to keep them focused on academics in their new school."

Pitzer was the Assistant Principal at West Teays so he will see some familiar faces at Teays Valley. His wife, Beth, is a teacher at Scott Teays.

"That will help with the transition," says Pitzer. "Parents will know that we will continue the high standards. Having some basis with both communities will assist us in making that transition."

This group will be making a footprint for others to follow. We will be choosing the mascot, the school colors. To establish a school tradition is something super. We will be setting up some parent and teacher committees to help get all those things in place. It definitely won't be a Mr. Pitzer decision, it will be a community decision. This is the first school that we've built in Putnam County in 45 years. That's exciting.

In other news:

District officials have announced that the New Teays Valley Elementary School zone will be bounded on the east by South Poplar Fork Road extending to U.S. Route 60 (including all tributaries thereof) and extending west to a point at or near 3751Teays Valley Road (including all tributaries thereof) up to but not including, New London Commons.   The northern boundary extends to Interstate 64 and the southern boundary is U.S. Route 60 and sharing common boundary with Lakeside Elementary.

Putnam County Schools have announced that current siblings will be allowed to attend the same middle and high schools together. This is in response to the concerns of some parents who have students attending Winfield Middle and High Schools. The new Teays Valley Elementary School will be "feeding" students into the Hurricane middle and high schools to help relieve overcrowding at Winfield High School.

Included below are some common names to better identify the New Teays zone: South Poplar Fork Road, Leslie Place, Teays Village, Knight’s Court, Laurel Ridge, Teays Meadows, Barrington Woods, Poplar Estates, Teays Lane, Teays Valley Estates, Marina Park, White Pines, Candlewyck Place, Marina Drive, Lake Chadesa Drive, Hospital Drive, Woods & Irons, Hampton Crossing, Cheyenne Valley, Mount Vernon Meadows, Mallard Crossing, Country Villas, Green Acres, White Rock, Thistlewood, Sable Point, Charlo Acres, Hickory Hill, Precious Acres, Fox Run, Bell Lane,  and Estes Drive. 

Publisher's note: Mary Beckelhimer contributed to this report.