The Dunklin R-5 School District has named Katie Dunlap the new Pevely Elementary principal. She will replace Angie Ritzel, who is leaving Dunklin to take a job as principal of House Springs Elementary School in the Northwest R-1 School District.
Dunlap currently is an assistant principal at the Murphy and Brennan Woods elementary schools in the Northwest district. She begins her new job at Pevely Elementary on July 1. Her current annual salary is $55,000, and her salary in her new job will be $85,000.
One of the reasons she stood out among the other candidates for the principal job was her experience with the “Leader in Me” student leadership program, Dunklin officials said.
The program is used at both the Northwest and Dunklin school districts.
“It’s a character-building program for our students. We feel she can take Pevely Elementary to the next level in the program, to be a Lighthouse School. That’s another level you accomplish with the ‘Leader in Me’ program,” said Clint Freeman, the Dunklin R-5 deputy superintendent who becomes its superintendent July 1.
Both Murphy and Brennan Woods elementary schools have achieved Lighthouse School status.
Freeman said Dunlap had other appealing qualities as well.
“We went through our interview process, and our teaching team and our administration team thought she’s got a lot of energy and character, which we were looking for to move Pevely Elementary forward,” Freeman said.
Dunlap, 31, said she is impressed with what “Leader in Me” can do for students and teachers.
“It’s a program for academic success for staff and students,” she said. “What I really like is it puts students in a position of responsibility. The program also encourages goal setting for academic performance. It is also beneficial to staff, because it offers professional development opportunities.”
Dawn Warner, the Dunklin Board of Education president, said she, too, thinks Dunlap is a good hire.
“I’m excited to see what Ms. Dunlap brings to Pevely Elementary,” she said.
Dunlap started her career in education as a paraprofessional at Taylor Early Childhood Center in Dunklin R-5. She has taught first and second grade at Gateway Science Academy in the St. Louis Public School system and in the Grandview R-2 School District.
She has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, certification in early childhood education and a master’s degree in educational administration, all from Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis, which she attended on a golf scholarship.
“I’m beyond excited to start my career in Dunklin,” Dunlap said. “I’ve heard tons of positive things and I’m looking forward to meeting the students and staff of Pevely Elementary.”
The Dunklin Board of Education voted 7-1 in April to hire Dunlap.
The board also voted 7-1 at the April meeting to hire Trent Sauer as Senn-Thomas Middle School dean of students, a newly created job for the district.
Sauer had been a teacher for the Mehlville School District. He will be paid $55,000 in his new job.
There were 28 applicants for both the Pevely Elementary principal and dean of students positions.
Board member Michael Hicks cast the only no vote in both hires, saying he felt good candidates for the positions already worked in the district.
“I am a firm believer in promoting from within,” Hicks said. “We had two qualified candidates who, in my opinion, should have been given the opportunity, one for each position.”
Warner said the district administration and teaching teams recommended Dunlap and Sauer for the jobs, and she felt confident in their recommendations.
“We have a couple of rounds of interviews with the teacher and administrator groups, and these were their recommendations,” Warner said.