After more than a decade, Beaufort County Schools’ public information officer is moving to a new position.

Sarah Hodges Stalls won’t be leaving Beaufort County Schools, however. She is now taking her talents to S.W. Snowden Elementary School as the school’s media coordinator. She said she has big plans in her new role, including using grant money to set up a TV studio at the school, as well as teaching students how to use media safely.

Stalls was shocked to hear her position had been cut due to budget restraints, effective as of Aug. 1, but she is taking the challenges in stride.

“It has been a wonderful ride in this position,” Stalls said.

Stalls has been with the school district for a total of 13 years, starting out as a testing technician for two years, then transitioning to work in communications with Pam Daw. After about a year, she then moved into the new position of public information officer.

Stalls said she has been through many changes within the district, transitioning between superintendents and school board members, and taking the good with the bad.

“Change is good, if you let it be,” she said. “There’s always something good that comes out of it.”

Early on, Stalls said she learned that being honest with people was the best avenue to take in tough situations. Even if a situation was negatively affecting the school district, it was better to face it head on, she said.

“We’ve dealt with quite a bit of it,” Stalls recalled. “Those bad situations were big learning experiences.”

Her time as a representative of Beaufort County Schools was full of positive experiences, as well.

Stalls said she has two favorite memories in particular: seeing officers help coordinate lockdown drills with kindergarten and first-grade students, with the officers playing the part of the “bad guys,” and spending time with NBA star Dominique Wilkins when he came home to Washington.

While the possibility of the PIO position being reinstated is low, Stalls said she is trying to look forward and is grateful for community support.

“I love the school system here,” she said. “There’s nothing else to do. You miss out if you don’t go ahead and buck up and try to roll with it.”