LEBANON — People Involved in Education, the nonprofit organization that runs Sand Ridge Charter School, has named Jay Jackson “director of operations” and appointed acting principals for the schools.

The PIE board confirmed the appointments Tuesday. Jackson will oversee both Sand Ridge campuses, Sweet Home Charter School and the private PIE preschool. Teachers Naomi Villmann, at the Sodaville campus, and Mandy Hunter, at the South Main campus, will be principals for their schools through this year.

No decisions have been made on administrators for the coming school year.

Jackson said this morning the change has been in the works since mid-2007, but fell through in the fall when a principal resigned.

Since 2004, Jackson, who is also president of the PIE board, has been “administrator” for the campuses.

The idea is to allow principals to handle day-to-day activities at their campuses and free Jackson for more corporate oversight. Jackson said the title change also clarifies that he is an employee of PIE, not of the schools themselves.

Oregon law requires teachers and administrators at public charter schools to be either licensed or registered with the state’s Teachers Standards and Practices Commission. Villmann and Hunter are registered.

Jackson’s registration papers, initially submitted in December with supporting material sent March 7, were still under review as of this morning, said Pamela LaFreniere, coordinator of teacher licensing. She said it will be up to the Oregon Department of Education to determine whether his new title affects the process.

Jackson said he believes registration is no longer necessary. However, he added, “If somebody at the state level comes down with a different ruling, then we’ll go from there.”

Registration has been held up because Jackson said “yes” to questions involving discipline or investigation by a public agency.

The Oregon State Bar Association reprimanded Jackson, a practicing attorney, on three occasions in the 1980s and ’90s for lack of attention to client paperwork. A case is still pending, Jackson said, about which he declined to speak.

Jackson said he believes he has submitted all necessary TSPC paperwork.