MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County School Board eliminated three administrative positions Monday, in a move that will cut costs and reorganize staffing.

The elimination of assistant principal positions at Colquitt County High, Funston and Okapilco elementary schools, and a director of alternative services will save an estimated $250,000 in salaries and benefits.

The school board unanimously approved Schools Superintendent Leonard McCoy’s recommendation on the three positions, voting on the group as a package.

No layoffs will result from the decision, McCoy said during a telephone interview Tuesday.

Instead, Eric Croft, who rotates between Funston and Okapilco as assistant principal will be promoted to principal at Okapilco, whose principal is retiring.

In the case of the second assistant principal position being eliminated, a reorganization of the alternative school at the high school will move the current assistant principal into place as a teacher, McCoy said.

As part of ongoing reorganization, Fritzie Sheumaker, currently director of alternative services, will move to human resources director for the system, as well as maintain some responsibilities for alternative schools. Earlier this year the board voted to eliminate one assistant superintendent position upon the retirement of Faye Barnes, who oversees human resources and technology for the school system.

The positions were eliminated to deal with “budget realities,” McCoy said. However, barring unforeseen cuts in state funding the system is not planning on laying off any of the 1,360 full- or part-time employees going into the next school year.

“We’ve been looking at how we can eliminate expenditures that least directly affect classrooms, where possible,” he said. “It appears we’re not going to have to eliminate anyone’s job because of the financial hardships we’re facing. While we may eliminate positions and cut programs, it appears anyone working full-time at Colquitt County schools will not have his or her job cut due to the economic downturn to our knowledge at this time.”

The board has set a meeting for 5 p.m. April 13 to consider recommendations for hiring for the next school year.

The school system has been planning on ways to cut costs for a while, McCoy said.

“We are eliminating positions where we can, but we are doing it through attrition,” he said.

No employee furloughs will be considered next year unless they are mandated by the state, McCoy said.

For the alternative school, the departure of the ninth grade next year to a new setting as part of a junior high school means that all alternative school programs will be housed on the high school campus.

With the departure of ninth-grade students alternative program activities for grades six, seven and eight, currently at Willie J. Williams Middle School, will be moved to the high school.