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R-2 Hires New
Assistant Superintendent, CMS Principal The Chillicothe R-2 School board hired a new assistant superintendent and a new middle school principal last (Tuesday) night. The action came during the executive session following the regular February board meeting at district headquarters. By unanimous vote, board members hired Wade K. Schroeder as the district's assistant superintendent, and William Bryan Copple II as the new Chillicothe Middle School principal. Schroeder and Copple will begin their duties on July 1, 2008. Schroeder is currently the Norborne Junior/Senior High School principal, curriculum director and summer school coordinator. He will fill the vacancy left by Dave May, who is retiring. According to Superintendent Dale Wallace, Schroeder was one of 25 applicants vying for the assistant superintendent's position. Copple is already employed with the R-2 District as assistant principal at the high school - a position he has held since he joined the school district in August 2007. He will replace CMS Principal Bryan Prewitt, who is resigning and moving from the area to work as superintendent in the Albany R-3 School District on July 1, 2008. Copple said this morning that he is very excited about the challenges associated with dealing with a new age group of students and a new faculty. “I am looking forward to it,” Copple said. He added that he has heard a lot of positive comments about the school and its staff. There were a dozen applicants who applied for the assistant superintendent's position, Wallace said. Chillicothe R-2 school board members also accepted the resignation of Central School Principal Gary Hawkins during the executive session. Hawkins stepped in as Central School principal at the end of the 2006 third quarter as an interim principal and then signed on for another year after that. Hawkins said that he felt he needed more time with the students and staff to ensure the school was on the right track. Now, Hawkins says he feels the students and staff at Central School are "in a good position," and in need of an administrator willing to make a two to four year commitment to the school to continue the progress they have made. Hawkins, who has 35 years of experience in education, says he wasn't in a position to make such a commitment. "We're in a good position (at Central). The staff is moving forward again in terms of development with Professional Learning Communities and I feel good about the teachers and kids and how their day goes on a normal basis," Hawkins said. He added that his staff, the school board and fellow administrators have been "great to work with." Wallace said Wednesday morning the Hawkins had informed district officials of his decision to retire about three weeks ago. "we've actually been taking applications since then and will continue to take applications through next Friday," Wallace said. The superintendent said that it is likely a new Central School principal and an assistant high school principal will be hired during the regular April board meeting. Also during executive session, the board accepted the resignation of Bill Tharp, who teaches computer/networking technology at the Grand River Technical School. Board members also hired Lendy Donoho as elementary school counselor, She fills the vacancy left by Susan Jackson, who is retiring. Contract offers were also made to district administrators and the board accepted the resignation of Jamie Thomas, special education aide. |
