VIENNA — Maries R-1 Superintendent Teresa Messersmith made three hiring recommendations to the school board at its May 23 meeting on behalf of outgoing Vienna High School Principal Ian Murray.

First, Messersmith recommended hiring Kevin Schwartze as the district’s athletics director. Schwartze will continue to serve as the district’s technology director.

Messersmith also recommended that the district hire Dakota Mason as the head baseball coach. Mason is an energy technology instructor at State Tech.

The other hire that Messersmith recommended was Wayne Hoy as the new middle school English teacher.

The board approved all three hires.

Messersmith also read four resignation letters at the meeting.

The first letter was from science teacher Alesia Lake.

“For 22 of my 27 years in the teaching profession, I have been blessed to call Maries R-1 home,” Lake wrote in the letter. “This is where I have been challenged, fulfilled and grown as a teacher.”

The next letter was from Title I teacher Miranda Bock. She has accepted a position with the Blair Oaks School District.

“During my time here, I have had the honor of working with and learning from some of the best educators that I have encountered,” Bock wrote in her letter. “I have also enjoyed every moment with my students and their families and will continue to watch my Eagles soar from afar.”

“I’d really like somebody who has a really good experience with reading because that’s a big reading thing,” Vienna Elementary Principal Shanda Snodgrass said about filling the Title I position. She proposed that the district split the Title I position into two part-time roles, and she had two former employees of the district that she said were “awesome with reading” in mind to take the positions: Sallee Bonham and Rachel Williams. She said the district already uses two employees to teach Title Math.

The board approved both hires for the Title I role.

The next resignation letter came from Spanish teacher Bonnie Brainard. After 33 years working in Missouri public schools, she has decided to retire.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here with the Vienna school district and thank the staff and administration for being supportive during my time at Vienna High School,” Brainard wrote in her letter. She also expressed interest in joining the district’s substitute list.

The final resignation came from assistant baseball coach Trace Clark, who has accepted a new job that would make continuing to coach difficult.