Principal hired at Marion Elementary School
Stan Plountz, principal at Marquette Elementary School, was hired Tuesday as principal at Marion Elementary School.
"It's an exciting opportunity for growth," Plountz said. "I'm excited about the building and about the community."
Marion-Florence Unified School District board of education members voted unanimously to offer Plountz a two-year contract. Current principal Terry Slattery has resigned to take a job in the Kansas City area.
Plountz has been principal for two years. While he enjoyed the job, he had been commuting from Ellinwood, where the family still lived.
They decided to come to Marion for the job opportunity and because of the outlook. Plountz noted that the community was celebrating completion of the industrial park Tuesday.
"We can make a lot of comparisons between Ellinwood and Marion, but there are opportunities here we didn't have there," he said.
Plountz and his wife, Verna, were born and raised in Ellinwood. They have two children: Russell, a high school freshman, and Ashley, who will be in kindergarten.
Plountz worked in the oil business but returned to college, receiving a teaching degree from Sterling College in 1989. He taught sixth through eighth grades at Ellinwood and Little River. He completed a master's degree in administration in 1999 from Fort Hays State University.
Verna is a guidance counselor and will look for a position once the family gets settled. That may take awhile, since they are still looking for a home in the Marion area.
"We haven't found a place, but you can look at that two ways," he said. "You move to a community this size and there are 25 houses for sale, that means people are moving out. We plan on making this our home for a long time."
In other business:
The board offered a contract to Chris Wear, White City, to teach fifth grade. She graduated from Emporia State University in December 2001. This will be her first teaching position.
Board members will review a proposed health insurance pool through ESSDACK, a regional educational consortium. If formed, the pool could be a less expensive option for prescription drug insurance.
