Prairie View board doesn't extend Johnson's contract

By Roger Sims

linncountyjournal@icloud.com

LA CYGNE – The continued employment of Chris Johnson as Prairie View district superintendent was uncertain as the district schools closed for the holidays on Friday, Dec. 19.

As part of its annual review of district principals and administrators, the Prairie View USD 362 Board of Education went into executive session for about an hour on Tuesday, Dec. 16, to discuss non-elected personnel. Included in a portion of that closed-door session was Assistant Superintendent Joseph Hornback.

During the open session, Hornback sat in for Johnson, who reportedly was unable to attend because of illness.

When the board returned to open session, they voted on several staff changes (see below). Then Board Member Wade Teagarden made motions to extend contracts through the 2027-28 school year for elementary principals Cindy Nelson, Mark Staab, middle school principal Andrea Richardson, high school principal Kate Gronquist, and Hornback. Each extension was approved with a unanimous vote.

Noticeably absent was a motion to extend the contract of Johnson, whose contract currently runs through July 2027 and whose contract was on the agenda. It is customary for district and building administrators to have their contracts extended for two years beyond the current school year.

With her current contract, Johnson could work through the 2026-27 school year unless she and the board could agree on an extension, she took another position, or the board bought out the remaining year of her contract.

When asked by the Journal after the meeting if Johnson’s renewal was delayed until she could attend a meeting, Board President Russell Pope said that was not the case. He declined any further comment.

Johnson took the helm of the district at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year to replace departing Superintendent Rex Bollinger. She came to the district from the Crane, Mo., school district, where she was superintendent.

Tuesday’s meeting also marked the end of the three-term tenure for Rita Boydston, who was elected to the post on a write-in vote in the spring of 2013 and served three terms. Because the state Legislature pushed the election date from April to November for school board members during her term, she served 12 years and six months.

It was also the last meeting for Board Member George Nunnemacher, who served as Area 4 representative after a write-in campaign in 2023. He moved out of the area midterm, however, since he still lived in the Prairie View district, he was allowed to continue in his post until the next election in November..

Boydston, whose husband, the late Bruce Boydston, also served on the school board in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, recounted the accomplishment the district has made since she took office. With the exception of a couple of years, she was the sole woman on the school board, a fact she jokingly referred to as she recounted her board experience.

She also talked about some of the physical improvements that occurred in the district while she was on the board, including the upgrade of the high school stadium, the high school remodeling project, and the transportation barn.

However, she also said that she would continue to push the board to install a modern marquee in front of the building to replace the current stone sign that is partially hidden by trees and is broken. Boydston’s family has offered to pay part of the cost, although estimates for a two-sided electronic marquee similar to the single-sided marquee at the La Cygne Library could run in the neighborhood of five figures.

She was also reminded by Board President Russell Pope that she was the “mastermind” behind the acquisition of the traveling activity bus that carries students to competitions around the state.

One of the achievements that made her proudest, however, was the improvement in student test scores.

“Our grades, our test scores have tremendously come up,” she said. “They were at the bottom of the pits when I first came on the board.”

She added that with the faculty and board working together, the test scores have made a marked recovery.

In other personnel changes, the board accepted the resignation of Taylor “Coach T” Bauer as head volleyball coach and the resignation of Breonna Goodwin as winter cheer sponsor. They approved hiring Connie Reynolds and Angela Wilcox to split the winter cheer coaching duties through the end of the season.

The board also:

• Approved Johnson’s recommendation to purchase a new 71-passenger bus for just over $147,500.

• Approved an $11,000 bid to replace a grease trap at La Cygne Elementary School. Principal Noel called the disintegrated trap “really gross.” “It’s definitely backed up pretty good,” she said.

• Recognized students Harley Wade and Maci Britz for qualifying for state girls golf, Laramie Stevens and Demi Isenhower for qualifying for state cross country, Parker Schwarz and Johnny Colin for all-state football selections, and Matthew Stolle and Kimball Uphoff for national FFA recognition. Also recognized were PVHS graduates Gage Belcher and Mason Mitzner for national FFA recognition.