Blair Oaks to see principal changes next school year

Blair Oaks High School in Wardsville
Blair Oaks High School in Wardsville

The faces of the leaders at two of the Blair Oaks R-2 school district's buildings will be familiar but different next year.

Blair Oaks Middle School's Principal Don Jeffries resigned his position this month "to pursue school administration opportunities near his wife's place of employment and his extended family in the St. Louis area," according to an announcement Friday from Superintendent Jim Jones.

Jeffries will serve in his current position through the end of this school year, Jones said.

Blair Oaks Elementary School Principal Kim Rodriguez will take Jeffries' position for the 2018-19 school year.

Tara Bishop, in turn, has been promoted from assistant to the elementary school and middle school principal to become Rodriguez's successor as principal of the elementary school for 2018-19.

"We obviously have a proven leader in our school district that's going to be moving over to our middle school, and we have a person who doesn't have the years behind her but is equally respected," Jones said.

Bishop has seven years of experience - one in her current position and six as a teacher at Blair Oaks Elementary.

Jones said Bishop "knows where we're at and knows where we're going" and added staff at the middle and elementary schools are excited about the transitions.

Rodriguez has been the elementary school principal for six years. She served as K-12 principal in the Hale R-1 School District for four years before she came to Blair Oaks for the 2012-13 school year.

She was a classroom teacher for nine years before she was principal at Hale - eight years as a K-6 special education teacher and grades 2-3 reading coach in the Brookfield R-3 District.

Rodriguez earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education and special education from Missouri Western State University, her master's degree in elementary administration from William Woods University and her specialist's degree in educational administration from William Woods.

She currently is working on a doctorate degree through William Woods.

Rodriguez has three children - Hannah, 18; Zane, 13; and Gabby, 11.

Bishop earned her bachelor's in elementary education and master's in elementary administration from William Woods.

She and her husband, Brian, have two children - Brees, 2, and Baylor, 10 months.