WSD BOARD MEETING REPORT
Friday, April 22, 2022
The Wentzville School District Board of Education held a reorganization meeting on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. They also held a meeting on Thursday, April 21, that was live-streamed via the District YouTube channel and can be viewed by visiting the WSD on YouTube. The agenda and available supporting documents can be viewed online under Public Access to BoardDocs.
Newly-Elected Board Members
The newly-elected Board of Education members were sworn in on April 19 in a special Board meeting. Dr. Julie Scott and Katie Lyczak took their oath and each will serve a three-year term. The Board also elected officers at the meeting. Dan Brice was elected President, Jason Goodson was elected Vice President, and Erin Abbott was elected Secretary.
Outgoing Board Members
Barfield & Parents as Teachers
Melissa Lamb, coordinator of Parents as Teachers, and Kevin Garcia, principal at Barfield Early Childhood Center, shared an evaluation of their programs with the Board of Education.
Special Education
Vanessa Fritsche, director of Special Education, provided a report to the Board of Education about the WSD’s Special Education Program.
Distinguished Student Leader Awards
Holt High School student Hawk Frederick was recognized for earning the Distinguished Student Leader Award from the Missouri Association of Student Councils. This award recognizes Missouri students who demonstrate superior student council leadership skills and knowledge. Timberland's Lilly Brown also received this honor. Read more.
National Merit Scholarship Finalists
Mason Neal from Timberland High School was recognized before the Board for being named as a finalist in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Mason has a weighted GPA of 4.66, is ranked 12th in his class, and scored a 34 on the ACT. Timberland's Ronan Townes also received this honor. Read more.
CyberUp National Champions
Two CyberUp teams from Holt High School ranked in the National Linux Competition last month. The Holt teams finished first and sixth in the nation in this competition. The Dynamic Duo scored 450 points, with 71.74% accuracy, completing 100% of the competition. The Terrific Trio scored 395 points, with 22.83% accuracy, completing 87.88% of the competition. Holt’s teams include the Dynamic Duo: Alex Bennett and Nolan Haag, and the Terrific Trio: Adian Kline, Kaden Evans, and Oscar Sargent. Read more.
Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services
The WSD Board of Education approved the hiring of Dr. Janell Mueller as the assistant superintendent of Administrative Services, effective July 1, 2022. Dr. Mueller has worked for the WSD since 1999 when she began her teaching career as a business teacher at Holt High School. She became an assistant principal and intern in 2014, and she continued in that role until she was hired as the executive director of Administrative Services in 2018.
Principal of Boone Trail
The WSD Board of Education approved the hiring of Julie Vahle as the principal of Boone Trail Elementary, effective July 1, 2022. Vahle has served as an administrative intern at John Weldon Elementary for the past two years where her time was split between her administrator duties and serving as a part-time music teacher. Vahle was the Teacher of the Year at John Weldon Elementary in 2014-2015 and was awarded as a Lindenwood Outstanding Cooperating Teacher in 2019. In Francis Howell, she led Professional Learning Community work for elementary music teachers throughout the District. She also served on several district-level committees.
Principal of Heritage Intermediate
The WSD Board of Education approved the hiring of Jessica Hanks as the principal of Heritage Intermediate, effective July 1, 2022. Hanks is currently an assistant principal at Lakeview Elementary where she has served since 2020. Prior to becoming an administrator, Jessica was a fifth-grade teacher for nine years. In that role, she served as grade-level chairperson and participated in our WE-Lead program. Hanks served as a summer school administrator as well.
Assistant Director Barfield Early Childhood
The WSD Board of Education approved the hiring of Nicole Myers as the assistant director of Early Childhood Special Education, effective July 1, 2022. Myers is currently the director of student services for the Northwest R-I School District. Prior to assuming that role in 2017, Nicole was a special education process coordinator and an administrator at the Alternative Behavior Program in Northwest R-I. Myers has been a special educator since 2000 and has wide-ranging experiences in her many roles.
Assistant Director Alternative Intervention Program
The WSD Board of Education approved the hiring of Jason Clow as the assistant director of alternative learning, effective July 1, 2022. Clow is currently serving as an English teacher for the Lincoln County R-III School District. He has served as the administrator for the summer school credit recovery program and has participated in the ASPIRE program — which is a program to develop leadership in aspiring administrators. Prior to joining LCR3, he was an English teacher at Mexico High School in the Mexico School District (MO) for six years.