BELLE — The Maries County R-2 Board of Education officially announced yesterday (Tuesday) that they have offered the open superintendent position to “hometown girl” Dr. Lenice Basham. 

“Basham will be accepting the role of superintendent starting July 1, 2019,” said Superintendent Dr. Patrick Call, who is retiring at the end of the 2018-19 school year. “She was officially offered the position last Thursday, Jan. 17.”

However the R-2 board did not wish to announce the position had been offered prior to Basham’s acceptance. Call said Basham did not accept the position until after the Osage County R-2 school board in Linn formally approved her resignation Monday night. 

“We have sent her a contract,” Call said Jan. 22 when asked if Basham had officially accepted. “It’s not all done.”

Prior to being hired as superintendent at Osage County R-2 in 2016, Basham was Belle Elementary School principal from Aug. 2012 to June 2016. She also served as the special education teacher in Belle from 1995 to 2009.

“I am really looking for to returning to Maries County R-2,” Basham said. “It is a great place to educate students, a great place to work. I am looking forward to serving this board and meeting the goals of the district.”

Basham said the plan is for her to sit in on some of the board meetings this winter and spring.

“I won’t be officially there until July 21,” she said. “I live in district, so it is easy to stop in as the need arrises.”

She plans to be in attendance at the Feb. 28 school board meeting.