Please join us in welcoming Mr. Jon Roop as the new principal at De Soto High School, effective July 1, 2023.

Mr. Roop is currently the Activities Director and Assistant Principal at De Soto High School. He succeeds Mr. John Daniels, who will be retiring at the end of the current school year. Mr. Jon Roop is a De Soto alumnus and has spent 15 years in education. He attended Westminster College where he majored in secondary education while playing four years of college football. He holds a Masters in Educational Leadership and recently completed his Specialist Degree from Missouri Baptist University. His first four years in education were spent teaching high school social studies and coaching various sports in a neighboring district. He then found himself back in his hometown where he taught junior high social studies, served as the department head, sponsored student council, and coached football and track at De Soto Junior High. Mr. Roop then spent a few years as an Activities Director and Assistant Principal in a neighboring district before returning to serve as the Activities Director and Assistant Principal at the De Soto High School.

Please join us in welcoming Mr. Russ Schmidt as the new Activities Director and High School Assistant Principal, effective July 1, 2023. Mr. Schmidt is currently the Industrial Technology Instructor and Department Head at Festus R-6 School District.

He succeeds Mr. Jon Roop, who accepted the position of Principal at De Soto High School in December. Mr. Schmidt attended Southwest Baptist University where he studied Business Administration. He was a member of the first ever football team at Southwest Baptist University. After graduation, Mr. Schmidt was the owner and operator of a landscaping business for thirteen years before entering a career in education. He attended William Woods University where he earned a Master’s Degree in Administration and Missouri Baptist University where he earned his Educational Specialist Degree. Mr. Schmidt has 20 years of experience in education and 36 years of experience coaching.

Mr. Schmidt and his wife Stacey have three wonderful children. Hailey, their eldest child, is currently a freshman at Jefferson College, Bryce is a sophomore at Hillsboro High School, and Colton attends Hillsboro Jr. High.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. William Nunn as the incoming Principal at Athena Elementary School for the 2023-2024 school year. Dr. Nunn currently serves as an administrator in the Parkway School District. Dr. Nunn will be taking over as the building principal on July 1, 2023 from Ms. Whittney Carter, who has accepted a leadership role for the 2023-2024 school year in a district closer to her family.

Dr. Nunn holds a Doctorate Degree of Education from Missouri Baptist University. He has over 14 years of experience as an educator. Dr. Nunn began his teaching career as a 6th grade English teacher and over the past 6 years has had administrative experience at the elementary school and middle school levels.

Dr. Nunn brings expertise in school safety and security, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), as well as extensive experience and practice in Professional Learning Communities and multi-tiered systems of academic interventions.

Please join us in welcoming Mr. Eric Young as the Director of Transportation and Safety for the De Soto #73 School District. Mr. Young succeeds Mr. Bob Winckel who retired at the end of the 22-23 school year.

Prior to working at the De Soto School District, Mr. Young worked for the De Soto Rural Fire Department for 37 years as a Private, Deputy Chief, Assistant Training Officer, Fire Marshal and the Assistant Chief. Shortly after he retired from the Fire Department he became a bus driver for our district.

Mr. Young specializes in vehicle and heavy equipment extrication, search and rescue, high angle rescue support, water/boat rescue, report writing and documentation, fleet maintenance and apparatus design, fire codes and ordinances, and leadership and command skills.

Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Meagan Wagner-Westermayer as the new Assistant Principal of Athena Elementary, effective August 3, 2023. She succeeds Mrs. Ann Hammond who accepted a building principal position in a neighboring district.

Mrs. Wagner-Westermayer earned her Bachelors degree in Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia, a Master’s in Education from Lindenwood University, and a Specialist Degree in Leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Mrs. Wagner-Westermayer has seventeen years of classroom experience teaching 1st, 2nd, and 5th grade.

As a 2002 graduate of De Soto High School and an Athena Elementary alumna, Mrs. Wagner-Westermayer couldn’t be more proud to begin her administration career in the district she grew up in.

Please join us in welcoming Mr. Nick Stearns as the new Dean of Students at Vineland and Athena Elementary Schools, effective August 3, 2023. He succeeds Mr. Chris Krueger, who accepted the position of the 7-12 Assistant Principal in the district for the upcoming school year.

Mr. Stearns is a De Soto alumnus, and has been in education for 18 years. He holds a Masters in Educational Leadership, and is currently finishing up his Specialist Degree from Missouri Baptist.

Mr. Stearns first 16 years in education were spent teaching high school and junior high at De Soto. During that time he coached both high school and junior high basketball, high school baseball, served as department head, and helped establish the JAG program in the high school. Mr. Stearns served the last two years in a neighboring district as the high school principal.