Training the next generation of administrators is imperative to the health of a school district, said Mickey Myers, superintendent of the Lincoln County School District.

School board members voted Tuesday to allow Bogue Chitto English teacher Jason Frazier to join principal John Shows at the West Lincoln Attendance Center for the 2016-2017 school year as assistant principal.

It’s part of the Principal Corps, a program at the University of Mississippi that trains teachers for administrative positions at no additional cost to the school district.

“Quality schools do not exist without effective administration,” Myers said. “It just doesn’t. Leadership starts at the top.”

Frazier has been spending the summer training for the position, and he’ll continue doing training sessions on some weekends during the year. But the biggest test of his leadership abilities will be engaging in actual administrative duties at West Lincoln, a setting Myers said can be quite challenging.

“The demand where you’ve got a K-12 setting, it’s almost overwhelming at times,” he said. “Everything that affects the school falls under your umbrella, whether it’s kindergarten readiness or graduation rates.”

Applicants for the Principal Corps are required to be teachers with at least three years of experience and need the endorsement of the superintendent. Myers said there’s also an extensive interview process. But the reward is a new administrator for the district at a lower cost of time and money.

“It’s kind of a win-win situation,” Myers said.