Parkway School Principal Tamara Stamey has been selected as director of elementary education for Watauga County Schools, the school system announced Wednesday.

Stamey will transition to the new position in early November. She said in a news release that she is excited and honored to serve in the new role.

"I will truly miss the wonderful people that make Parkway School such a special place, but I look forward to helping our elementary grades teachers provide the best possible instruction for students from all across Watauga County," Stamey said.

Stamey has been principal at Parkway since February 2011 and is in her 18th year with WCS. Prior to becoming Parkway's principal, she served as an assistant principal at Watauga High School for seven years and taught at Mabel Elementary for nine years.

Stamey was selected from about 65 applicants from inside and outside Watauga County Schools, spokesman Marshall Ashcraft said.

In the past, the school system had separate positions for K-5, 6-8 and high school curriculum support, Ashcraft said. Those were condensed into one position, held by Meredith Jones, due to state budget cuts in recent years, he said.

With Stamey covering grades K-5, Jones will now direct curriculum only for grades 6-12, Ashcraft said.

The search for a new principal at Parkway will begin immediately, according to the school system, and a successor is expected to be named next month.

The Board of Education also has approved the selection of Debora Smith to a new position as employee benefits manager and NC WISE coordinator. Among other duties, the role will help administer the transition from the NC WISE student information system to the new PowerSchool system that will be implemented in 2013.

Smith currently works in the front office at Watauga High School and previously served as a substitute teacher.

Watauga County Schools also is looking to a fill a new central office position for director of technology services.