During the March meeting of the Willow Springs School Board board members approved the purchase of a new school bus to be made in Fiscal Year 2025.
At the top of the meeting consent items up for approval included the agenda, previous meeting minutes, a budget summary, bills to be paid, a support services executive summary and personnel updates. Current funds held by the district are about $5.13 million, up from the February balance of about $3.83 million. At this time in 2023, the balance was about $6.8 million.
Personnel updates included the acceptance of resignations from high school teachers Travis Payne and Jennifer Payne, paraprofessional Katrina Sidorovich and elementary teacher Morgan Warren. A retirement from custodian Leatha Smith was also accepted. Ian Ary was hired to teach high school body conditioning and will also serve as the assistant high school football coach.
Several items were presented to the board for information during the March 12 meeting, beginning with administrative reports from all school buildings and the special education department. Representatives of the elementary school gave a presentation on STEM programs, followed by a presentation from the high school Future Business Leaders of America, Bear Media and Make 48. Information was given about the proposed school bus purchase, and the board discussed scheduling a budget committee meeting and policy revision meeting.
The bus purchase was put up for a vote on a motion by board member Adam Webb, seconded by Debbie Bryan, and carried without opposition.
Prior to adjourning, the board will move into closed executive session to discuss personnel matters. Upon reentering open session, board members voted unanimously to offer contracts of employment to probationary and part-time teachers for the 2024-25 school year.
Probationary teachers approved are Melissa Altermatt, Kaitlyn Baker, Lacey Bunch, Christy Chaney, William Charlton, Rhea Cook, Melinda Cooper, Adrianna Coursen, Glen Cox, Kayla Drake, April Earls, Laurie Earls, Kasey Eden, Ashley Freeman, Mark Goassard, Taylor Greenlee, Maksim Kharitinov, James Lee, Amanda Marks, Angie Nelson, Michele Nickel, Casey Pitts, Andrea Ratterree, Michaela Rodgers, Lindsey Ryan, Whitney Solik, Charla Story, Kameron Thomas, Scott Tooley, Trevor Turner, Shaylee Welch, Jesse Wilson and Lindsey Wilson. Susan James was approved as a part-time teacher, and BreAnna Combs, Quencey Hatch, Ashley Kelley, Crystal Sartor and Amy Bunch-Schmitt will be tenured teachers with their 2024-25 contracts.
The full list of tenured teachers to be employed by the district in the upcoming school year: Elizabeth Anderson, Sara Batson, Mindy Bell, Shane Bell, Hope Berry, Meghan Berry, Amanda Bradford, Erin Brower, Jessica Bunch, Ryan Bunch, Jordan Capader, Kimberli Cochran, Brooke Coffman, David Cox, Jessica Cunningham, Jane Dillin, Elizabeth Dowden, Nathan Earls, Audrey Foster, Courtney Foster, Brandin Gilliam, Tiffany Green, Kim Grogan, Tammy Henry, Sonia Holt, Crystal Hopper, Kevin Hummel, Kate Iacovleva, Serghei Iacovlev, Nancy Jackson-Bean, Ashley Johnson, Cole Johnson, Julie Kelley, Matthew Knapp;
Tara Land, Sabrina Lee, Julia Leija, Amber Lewis, Vernieca Luerssen, Colleen Mabe, Jennifer Martin, Rachel Martin, Rachel Mayberry, Heather Miller, Jeannie Moffis, Karen Nichols, Sharon Patton, Kathryn Picard, Misty Pitts, Amy Pollard, Sarah Presser, Shelly Rickard, Andrea Simandl, Randi Slayton, Melanie Smith, Megan Spence, Gary Spencer, Tanya Spencer, Josh Stoltzfus, Grant Talbot, Quencie Thompson, Judith Tilley, Nikki Wake, Kelly Wardle, Shiloh Walden, Phalena White, Jerry Wickens, Sherry Wiles, Megan Wilson and Myra Yost.
Present for the meeting were guests Larissa Higgs, June Higgs, Kathy Picard, Sabrina Lee, Nolan Perkins, Emma Spence, Allie Martin, Lilia Leija, Mason Owens, Maddi Poor, Luke Mansfield, Jessica Johnson, Emma Lemon, Elsie Lemon, Weston Lemon and Whitley Lemon; Superintendent Marty Spence; Board Secretary Mandy Scarbrough; and board President Mac Gum, Brent Colley, Scott Foster, Jeff Lovan, Matt Hobson, Bryan and Webb.
The school board typically meets on the second Monday of each month. The public is welcome.
