As the Dallas County Board of Education held its meeting and work session on Monday at the school board office, one of the top priorities on the agenda was filling some of the leadership roles for the system’s schools.

Dallas County Schools superintendent Dr. Fannie Major-McKenzie introduced recommendations to the board for those individuals who will fill administrative positions at some of the system’s elementary, middle and high schools.

Board members were able to question the recommendations before each one was accepted.

“We’ve spent these last two weeks trying to get people in place,” McKenzie said, addressing the board. “As you can see we, for the most part, we’ve plugged up probably 80 percent of our administrative holes.”

The board filled positions for principals at two county high schools, as well as two middle schools, and positions within the system’s central office.

The recommendations included current Martin Middle School principal Michael Blair, who has been with the Dallas County School System for the past five years, was recommended for the principal position at Dallas County High School.

Blair said he looks forward to working hard as principal at the county’s flagship high school.

“Dallas County High School has always had a reputation as being a great place,” Blair said. “The bottom line is … we’ve got to see improvement. We’ve got to clean it up. I’m talking inside out, outside in. Don’t ride by and see something that needs to be done — get it done.

“Nobody’s going to outwork me. I’m going to work hard to make it what it needs to be.”

Lou Ella Guthridge, who has worked for the Dallas County Schools System for 32 years, including a stint as assistant principal of Tipton Middle School, was recommended to fill the position of principal for Keith High School.

Current Dallas County High School assistant principal Queen Morrow being recommended as the new principal of Martin Middle School in Valley Grande.

Audrey Strong, an employee with the Dallas County School System for 10 years, who has spent the past year working with the state department of education was recommended to fill the position of principal at Brantley Elementary School.

Jacky Averheart, who has worked with Dallas County Schools for eight years as a reading coach was recommended as the new principal for Tipton-Durant Middle School.

Zella Ford, who served as an English teacher at Keith High School for 13 years before coming to the central of office as the professional development Title II coordinator, among other positions, was the recommendation to fill the Federal Programs Director for Dallas County Schools.

Brenda Mitchell, a math teacher who has served at Keith High School for 13 years, was recommended to fill Keith High School’s open position for assistant principal.

Frederick Hardy, who has served as a teacher at B.K. Craig Elementary School, and is currently assistant principal at Keith High School, was recommended to become principal of Shiloh Sixth Grade Academy.