Willow school board reorganizes under new president

In the first meeting of the Willow Springs school board after the April 7 election, the board reorganized under a new president and vice president. At a motion from Meagan Jones, seconded by Michele Myers, Roger Shanks was unanimously elected president of the board. Board newcomer David Baldridge was chosen as vice president, and Jones was elected MSBA delegate. The board voted to retain Mandy Scarbrough as board secretary, Jamie Bryan as treasurer, and Marty Spence as custodian of records. 

 

Prior to the election, Mac Gum was president, and Matt Hobson was vice president. Gum remains on the board. At the April 13 meeting, newly elected board members were sworn in; Brendon Wilson, Myers, and Baldridge took their oaths of office. 

 

Personnel votes

Baldridge and Wilson both abstained from all votes regarding family members’ employment with the district during this meeting. 

 

After a closed session on personnel matters, the board approved the list of probationary teachers for the upcoming school year, as well as the four teachers who will be tenured with next year’s contracts. The newly tenured teachers are Kaitlyn Knight, Casey Pitts, Whitney Solik, and Shaylee Welch. Probationary approvals passed for: Amy Barlow, Katelyn Battreal, Jake Brookshire, John Carter, Christy Chaney, William Charlton, Rhea Cook, Emilee Daniels, Brandon Day, Kayla Drake , Ashley Freeman, Dawn Gastineau, Roger Gastineau, Jessica Johnson, James Lee, Michaela Rodgers, Lindsey Ryan, Lindsey Schwalm, Kameron Thomas, Sandy Weller, Lauren Weyrauch, and Jesse Wilson. A separate vote approved Lindsey Schwalm, Lindsey Wilson with board member Wilson abstaining. 

 

As part of the consent agenda, the board approved new certified hires for next year: Ruby Medwid, middle school teacher, Janella Scott, middle school teacher, and Melanie Buster, high school teacher. Shelley Enloe was approved as a substitute, and Amy Baldridge was approved as substitute nurse, with board member Baldridge abstaining. 

 

Resignations

Also as part of the consent agenda, the board approved several resignations. Parent and student groups appeared before the board to advocate for maintaining two teachers in the agriculture department following the resignation of Shiloh Walden. For more on those speeches, CLICK HERE. Resignations accepted: Brooke Coffman, elementary special ed teacher, TJ Rolen, elementary teacher and head high school baseball coach, Charla Story SLPA, Matt Knapp, high school teacher, Jennifer Martin, high school teacher, Myrtle Pruitt, paraprofessional, Shiloh Walden, agriculture teacher, Courtney Day, high school teacher, Andrew Coursen, technology director, Ashley Kelly, elementary teacher, and Rebecca Murphy, special education teacher. 

 

In other actions: 

-After initially tabling a vote to approve the board’s contribution to employee health insurance, in the meeting’s second open session, “We answered the question of the approximate cost of raising the employee insurance cap ($49,000). The board then elected to take action on that vote,” said superintendent Marty Spence in an email to Howell County News. This is an increase of 4.5 percent, or $30, and the motion passed unanimously at a motion from Gum. 

-The board approved to use the same Career Ladder proposal. 

-After soliciting bids for auditing services, the district received only one bid. “After putting out requests for proposals to three auditing firms, we received one bid back from Schultz, Wood, & Rapp for $23,000. That price is slightly higher, but in line with past audits from Douglas & Co.,” note the meeting minutes. 

-The board withdrew into closed session for personnel matters, real estate, and student discipline. There was is no vote recorded regarding the student discipline matter, and for the real estate discussion, CLICK HERE.