Several Hillsboro R-3 administrators will take on new roles beginning July 1.
■ Mark Groner, currently assistant principal at Hillsboro High School, will take over as the new high school principal.
■ Cathy Freeman, the Hillsboro High School principal, will become the new Hillsboro Primary School principal.
■ Amber Parks, the high school library media specialist, will be the new high school assistant principal.
The Hillsboro Board of Education voted 7-0 during an April 21 closed meeting held online to approve all three personnel changes, Hillsboro Superintendent Jon Isaacson said.
In addition, the school board voted 7-0 May 14 to promote Chris Schacht, a Hillsboro High teacher and coach, to assistant principal and athletic director at the high school. Schacht, 48, of Hillsboro, will start the new job July 1. (See related story in the sports section on Page 40).
Groner
“I’ve been with the Hillsboro School District the last 21 years,” said Groner, 49. “I’m excited to accept a new challenge. I’ve been in Hillsboro the majority of my career and am anxious to serve in a new capacity.”
Groner’s salary is $95,173.88 a year as assistant principal, and he will earn a $107,454.37 annual salary in his new role as principal. The district posted the position internally and he was the only applicant, Isaacson said.
“We were blessed to have the right individual already working within the building,” Isaacson said. “Mr. Groner is a top-notch leader and dedicated to Hillsboro High School. We are excited about him serving in the new role as building principal.”
Groner began his career in education in 1995 in the Parkway School District. Then, after two years of teaching social studies at Kingston High School, he moved to Hillsboro R-3 where he has been for the duration of his career. Following six years of teaching, he was promoted to high school assistant principal for activities. In 2009, he moved into the role of assistant principal, where he has served for the past 11 years.
He also has coached basketball and track and served as an athletic director during his career.
Groner received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the University of Missouri St. Louis, and both his master’s and specialist degrees in educational administration from Missouri Baptist University.
He and his wife, Debra, live in rural Festus with their sons, Christian and Nicholas.
Freeman
Freeman, 51, will fill the Hillsboro Primary principal job that will be vacated when Lee Ann Wallace takes over as superintendent of the Kingston K-14 School District on July 1.
Freeman also “is taking on a significant role with district communications and PR, working with Jonelle Frasca,” Isaacson said.
Freeman said she’s looking forward to the change.
“Next year will be my 25th year in education and I’m looking for new challenges and am excited to be around younger children, because my background was originally in elementary education,” she said. “Honestly, it was just a new opportunity and I was ready for one.”
Freeman’s move is an administrative transfer, so her annual salary will remain the same at $110,183.38, Isaacson said.
“We are excited for Dr. Freeman to continue her leadership in our district with a new role beginning in 2020-2021,” Isaacson said. “She is a great fit to lead the staff and children at our primary building. I am also excited about her willingness to expand on her work with communication/public relations for the district.”
Freeman, who has been the high school principal since 2008, has worked for the district for 24 years. Originally hired in 1995 as a long-term sub in the primary building, she taught sixth grade for five years and fifth grade for three years. In 2004, Freeman was promoted to director of the Alternative High School, where she served for two years before moving in 2006 to the high school to assume an assistant principal role.
Freeman, a 1987 Hillsboro High graduate, received a bachelor of science in communications management from Missouri State University, and went on to earn her teaching credential from Friends University in Wichita, Kan., in 2005. Freeman holds master’s and specialist degrees in kindergarten-12th grade educational leadership from Southeast Missouri State University. She earned her doctorate from Maryville University.
She and her husband, Clint Freeman, who becomes superintendent of the Dunklin R-5 School District on July 1, live in Barnhart. They have two children, Clayton and Cailey.
Parks
Parks, 45, of Hillsboro was chosen from among 64 applicants for the high school assistant principal job, Isaacson said.
“We are excited for Amber to join our administrative team,” he said. “She has served in many leadership roles during her tenure at Hillsboro. I believe she will transition to her new position as assistant principal seamlessly.”
Parks’ current annual salary is $62,454.05 as a library media specialist, and she will be paid a $83,234.50 annual salary as assistant principal.
Parks replaces Stephanie Dix, who will become principal of Herculaneum High School in the Dunklin R-5 School District on July 1.
Parks has 24 years of professional experience in the Hillsboro School District. She was hired in 1997 as a special education teacher at Hillsboro High School. In 2003, she moved to the English Language Arts Department, after which she became a library media specialist in 2008.
In addition to teaching, she was an assistant soccer coach and the head volleyball coach for several years.
She received a bachelor’s degree in special education from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., where she played volleyball. She received a master’s in educational administration from Missouri Baptist University in 2005.
A 1992 De Soto High School graduate, Parks lives in Hillsboro with her fiance, Brian Gillick, and their daughters, Morgan, Madison, Mallory and Elliott.
Board of Education realigns
Although the April 7 general election was postponed to June 2, Hillsboro R-3 was among the public entities allowed in April to replace outgoing board members with incoming ones since the number of candidates who filed for open seats did not exceed the number of open seats in the election.
Hillsboro R-3 had three candidates file for three open seats.
Board member Jane Heine left the board and Erick Stephenson, who had previously served on the board, replaced her. In addition, incumbents Beth Petry and Angie Oshia retained their seats. So, Stephenson, Petry and Oshia were sworn in during the April 21 virtual meeting.
The other four board members are Lisa Welker, Rob Kruse, Jon Schuessler and Renee Sucharski.