Mountain View-Birch Tree School Board hires AD, installs board members

Newly elected school board members took their oaths of office on April 18. Incumbents Eric Wells and Shelly Mantel resumed their seats, and John Thompson began his first three-year term. The Mountain View-Birch Tree School Board now consists of Jennifer Foster (president), Eric Wells (vice-president), Rhonda Henry (secretary & treasurer), Shelly Mantel (Missouri State School Board delegate), Beverly Denton, Mikael Orchard, Josh Roberts, and John Thompson. 

After the regular business of the meeting, the board withdrew into a closed session for personnel votes. In this session:

-They unanimously voted to employ: Jack Hoagland, LHS Assistant Principal/Athletic Director, Joey Rodriguez, SE teacher, Melodie Haynes, SE teacher, Alyssa Phipps, LHS teacher, Stephanie Coen, LMS teacher, Tayler Randolph, BTE teacher, Brett Niehaus, speech & language implementer, Tammy Castevens, PT Driver, and Alexis Shumpert, MVE Pre-K aide.

-They accepted resignations from: Kameron Thomas, MVE teacher, Joey Rodriguez, SE aide, Melodie Haynes, SE aide, Kevin Roberts, BTE teacher, and Brandi Blankenship, LHS teacher. 

-A motion to hire Toby Tipton failed by a vote of 4 to 3. Foster, Denton, Thompson, and Wells voted against. Mantel, Orchard, and Roberts voted in favor.

-Jennfier Abbott, Dametria Reese, and Isabella Scott were added to the approved list of substitutes. 

-A list of non-certified employees was certified unanimously: Chelsea Abbey, Lora Adams, Rhonda Baker, Tina Bland, Bobby Brooks, Chris Bushong, Joseph Castillo, Kristi Christensen, Sam Cloud, Paula Cooper, Sadie Cornman, Andrea Farris, Kayla Felts, Kyra Franklin, Darra French, Sandra Frost, Roger Gall, Leroy Goldsmith, Heather Grandstaff, Andrea Greenan, Mules Guffy, Trudy Guffy, Charlotte Haines, Rhonda Henry, Tressa Henry, James Herndon, Christopher Holland, Russell Hradek, Bobby Irvin, Shebra Kelts, Daniel Lee, Ashley Lockhart, Geraldin Martin, Angela Miller, Tonie Noble, James (Doug) Orchard, Valene Pringle, Christian Radford, Linda Rawson, Cynthia Ray, Troye Reese, Leon Rinear, Tracey Roberts, Lynda Rutledge, Donald Seibert, Elizabeth Shaw, Sarah Smith, Kelli Smotherman, Katrina Tripp, Debra Wake, Brook Wallace, Marsha Webb, Karen Wilbanks, Ira Wilhelm, Carol Wright, and Cory Wynne.

-The following noncertified employees were approved, but with a school board member abstaining from the vote: Ciji Mashell McClellan (Foster abstains), Shauna Wells (Wells abstains), Travis Wilbanks (Roberts abstains), and Amanda Thompson (Thompson abstains).

After the personnel votes, the board returned to open session and adjourned at 7:59 p.m.

In other actions:

-The board unanimously passed the Career Ladder Plan for 2023-2024 as presented. 

-The board unanimously approved the bid from Ozarks Healthcare for occupational therapy services from Beth Trotter for the upcoming school year.