NATCHEZ — Tony Fields is returning to the same hallways at Frazier Elementary School he walked as a first-time administrator.

The former Morgantown Middle School assistant principal was appointed interim principal of Frazier Friday afternoon at a specially called Natchez-Adams School District Board of Trustees meeting.

“That’s where I started as an administrator, so it feels great to be going back there,” Fields said after the meeting. “We were good then, and now I think we’ll be even better.”

Fields appointment came after Cindy Idom, who was scheduled to lead Frazier this year, recently announced her retirement, Superintendent Frederick Hill said.

Idom was previously principal at West Elementary School, but was moved to Frazier in May through a series of administrative changes Hill said would help move the district forward.

Idom served the district for 15 years and took over as principal at West in 2002.

“I wish Tony (Fields) well because he’s a good man,” Idom said Friday.

Fields also was to be moved through those changes from Morgantown to Frazier and was scheduled to serve as assistant principal this upcoming school year.

Hill said he chose to bump Fields up on an interim basis to ensure the school was prepared to handle the new school year.

“We are three weeks out before school starts and there are a lot of loose ends that need to be tied at Frazier,” he said. “I’m not at a comfortable point now to begin the interview process to replace Mrs. Idom.”

Hill said, however, Fields could be the right person for the job.

“We want to make sure we have the very best person for the job, and that could easily be Mr. Fields,” Hill said. “We just want to take our time and make sure it’s the right person for the job.”

Fields has been with the district for 12 years. He began his career as a music teacher at Morgantown.

Joining Fields in the Frazier administrative office will be Margie Clark.

She joined the district in March as a homebound teacher, where she worked with students who are physically unable to come to school.

Clark also worked this summer on the district’s curriculum-writing project, which was intended to align the district’s curriculum with both Mississippi Framework Standards and Common Core State Standards for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Clark has 22 years of education experience and worked in the Tupelo Public School District as a curriculum specialist before coming to Natchez.

“I’m very honored to be give this opportunity,” Clark said after the meeting. “It sounds cheesy, but I really told Dr. Hill that I wanted to work in whatever position he felt that I would have the most impact and be most effective.”

The school board unanimously approved Hill’s recommendations, 4-0.

Board member Benny Wright was absent.