Eric Sloan will step into an additional leadership position next year at Houston High School.
Named the head football coach in February, Sloan was selected this week as the new assistant high school principal. The move became official during the closed session of Tuesday’s monthly school board meeting.
Sloan replaces Amber Stephens, who was hired last month as the new principal of the middle school.
“Mr. Sloan is a man of integrity, character and high moral value,” Superintendent Scott Dill said. “Not only is he going to be good for our football program but by positioning him in the high school, he can have a direct impact on those students as both educational and athletic leader. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”
HHS principal Charlie Malam, who conducted interviews for the position, said Sloan showed a strong understanding of administrative decision making and daily responsibilities of the position.
“He cares tremendously about kids and their overall well-being,” Malam said. “He has the drive to make them successful. He will help keep the primary mission here in place, which is student learning.”
Sloan, who turns 33 in June, is a 2000 graduate of Cabool High School with a degree from Drury University. His first teaching and coaching position came in 2006 at Houston before he returned to Cabool as physical education and weight room instructor. He taught sixth-grade science last year at Neosho before coming to Houston in the summer of 2014 as leader of the elementary focus room.
Malam said Sloan’s primary responsibilities as his assistant principal will include student discipline, classroom management and supervision. Malam said he will work with Sloan on teacher evaluations and building a budget if he expresses interest in becoming a building principal.
“I’m excited to get over there,” Sloan said, “and continue to build relationships with the students.”
Sloan’s hire was one of several employment moves made by the board during its 30-minute closed session.
Also employed at the meeting were: Rhonda Grumadas (high school math), Sascha Huang (high school science), Carla Taylor (bus driver), Joy Walton (high school English), Kimberly Freeman (speech language pathologist), Joni Bobbitt (special education process coordinator), Jodie Tottingham (middle school girls’ basketball head coach), Patricia Wright Roberts (middle school math and assistant middle school girls’ volleyball coach) and Angela Turner (middle school cheer sponsor).
The board accepted resignations from Deanna Smith and Brittany Roberts (speech-language pathologists), Jerry Postlewait (custodian), Olivia Whitefield (elementary counselor), Tim Davidson (mathematics) and Daniel Narancich and Delinda Dzurick (paraprofessionals).
Also during the board meeting, school board members:
-Accepted Sharon Horbyk’s resignation from the board and set a deadline of 3 p.m. May 26 to accept applications for the vacancy.
-Received an update from Dill related to construction connecting the current high school and middle school buildings. Dill shared photos and told members windows were recently installed on the exterior of the facility.
-Recognized students from the HHS FFA who represented the district at the state competition.
PDF: Minutes from Tuesday’s Houston school board meeting