Maries County R-2 School District officials will be working through applications for a new middle school principal and assistant principal/athletic director next week.

During the Feb. 28 board of education meeting, resignations were accepted for Denise Baldwin, Bland Middle School Principal, and Meagan Fisher as athletic director. 

Superintendent Dr. Lenice Basham said that Baldwin is looking for a new position. The assistant principal position is new.

“Each of the principals needed a few more hours of assistance, so we created a position to help at each of the three buildings,” Basham said. “It will look different at each building based on need and will help with instruction and teacher evaluation.”

Basham said that because the assistant principal will serve at each of the three schools, officials hope it will make the transition easier.

“They are in all three buildings, the transition from fourth to fifth grade, students will see a friendly face that they already know,” Basham said. “The same for eighth-graders to freshmen. Hopefully, there will be a relationship before they move to the next building.”

In the past, the athletic director position has been added to an existing position, such as Fisher, who also holds the position of physical education teacher. Belle Elementary School (BES) Principal Vanessa Feeler also served in the position for one year.

“We made it a part-time athletic director, part-time assistant principal for one full-time position,” Basham said. “That gives them time during the day to work on district business, athletic things and evening events.”

Applications for both positions were accepted through Tuesday.

“I don’t think we have anyone in-house applying for the AD/ assistant principal position,” Basham said Tuesday morning. “It does take an administrative degree along with principal certification.”