R-VII board accepts supt.’s retirement

   With a unanimous vote in closed session, the West Plains R-VII Board of Education has accepted the retirement of Superintendent Dr. Wesley Davis, effective June 30, 2027. The district announced Davis’s retirement after the October 7 board meeting. The district plans to employ a Deputy Superintendent for the 2026–2027 school year who will work alongside Dr. Davis, but has not announced their new hire. 

 

   In other personnel changes, the board approved hiring Kaleb Wartnaby as custodian and Madison Stevens as WPHS Asst. Girls Basketball Coach. Brent Pitcock has been promoted to a full-time custodian. Austin Riggs was approved as a district volunteer. Madalyn Ivy resigned as WPHS Asst. Girls Basketball Coach, and Heather Ortega resigned as SOMO Tech. Welding Instructor, according to the draft minutes of the meeting. 

 

   In addition to Davis’ retirement, the board also approved the following retirements at the end of the current school year: Amy Jackson, WPMS Mathematics Teacher, Gwen Vreeland - WPES Front Office Secretary, Rebecca Harrison - WPHS Special Education Teacher.  The board also approved paraprofessional Ann Morris’s termination. 

 

   October’s board highlight was a presentation on the EDU 150 “Intro to Teaching Class.” June Woods attended the meeting to represent the class, sharing that she aspires to become a teacher. Coach Alicia Gunter reported that there are nine students enrolled in the class, who have been working on lesson plan writing, learning about teacher salaries, participating in class discussions, and creating bulletin boards. Students have also had the opportunity to visit classrooms to observe teaching in action.

 

   District Communications Director Brianna Link gave an update on the district’s new phone app, currently in development. The app will pull important information from the website, including calendars, sports schedules, activities, and more. It will also feature two-way communication between staff, parents, and teachers—similar to the "Remind" app, but all in one centralized location. The app is scheduled to launch later this fall.