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Hicks, whose career as a teacher, coach and principal at Sandusky Community Schools has spanned more than 30 years, retired in 2004 when he was middle school principal but continued to work as a privately contracted employee for three more years - two as middle school administrator and his final year, until June 2007, as high school principal.

Now he's back, hired last week by the Board of Education as principal of the middle school for 2008-09 at a salary of $55,000.

Hicks will succeed Mary Lou Ruggles, who had to choose between keeping her job as principal of a school that could close in another year, or resuming her career as a teacher to avoid losing seniority in the union. Ruggles was a middle school computer teacher and student activities director before she replaced Hicks as principal two years ago.

Faced with declining enrollment, the Board of Education has approved the first phase of a plan that could lead to the closing of the middle school if enrollment doesn't turn around. Phase one is to move fourth grade to the elementary building for the new school year, while phase two could see the relocation of the remaining grades - 5th grade to the elementary and seventh and eighth to the high school.

In other business last week, the board: