School Board approves Amanda Eggleston as next high school principal

Amanda Eggleston was approved by the Webb City R-7 Board of Education on Tuesday as the next principal of Webb City High School. She replaces Jeff Wilkie, who is retiring.

Eggleston told the board she looks forward to going “home,” where she taught business classes for 16 years and was assistant principal for four years. She is returning to the high school from Webster Primary Center, where she has been the principal for three years. That position is now open.

Also, the board approved high school teacher Matt Peak as assistant junior high principal and athletic director. He fills the opening left by the retiring Darrell Hicks.

Eggleston is one of 19 administrators whose contracts are being extended by the board following a closed session. It will be Peak’s first administrative contract.

Here’s the district’s lineup of building-level administrators:

High School

Principal – Amanda Eggleston

Assistants – Flave Darnell, Courtney Escoto and Ashley Ebbs

Junior High

Principal – Tammy Ponce

Assistants – Jon Bishop and Matt Peak

Middle School

Principal – Jeff Brown

Assitants – Nathan Dingman and Denise Powley

Eugene Field Elementary

Principal – Scott Roderique

Mark Twain Elementary

Principal – Jonathan Derryberry

Carterville Elementary

Principal – Jarrett Cook

Harry S Truman Elementary

Principal – Jodi Bennett

Bess Truman Primary Center

Principal – Alicia Zornes

Webster Primary Center

Principal – open

Assistant – Denise Powley

Madge T. James Kindergarten Center

Principal – Miranda Hendrick

Heritage Preschool

Directors – Traci Coleman and Jenny Parker

Franklin Center

Director – Jackson Boyer

Virtual School

Administrator – Angie Broaddus

2026-27 first day of school is Aug. 24

The board approved the 2026-27 school calendar, with a start date later than many would like – on Monday, Aug. 24.

Starting earlier was one of the teachers’ requests, said Superintendent Brenten Byrd.

Aug. 24 is the earliest schools can start in 2026 because of the law that requires that start dates be no sooner than two weeks before Labor Day to encourage vacations and state fair attendance. The holiday is as late as it can get this year – Sept. 7.

The district applied for a waiver, but the State Board of Education denied the request.

Byrd said the “very late start” makes planning the calendar tight while maintaining a week off for Thanksgiving, two weeks off for Christmas and ending before the Memorial Day weekend.

The last day of school will be May 27, 2027,

In other action, the board:

• Accepted the retirement of Glen Welch, high school special education teacher, after serving one year in the district.

• Accepted the resignation of Peyton Rogers, fifth grade teacher at the middle school.

• Offered contracts to:

– Amanda Boberg, high school counselor.

– Gavin Phillips, high school choir and show choir director.

– Paige Blann, high school math.

– Patrick Bromley, aquatics director.

– Megan Wilson, middle school music.

• RSVP’d to meet and greet high-achieving students and their parents at the annual Academic Awards Banquet, starting with dinner at 6 p.m. Monday, March 30, at the Cardinal Dome. Those students, who scored at the advanced level in all areas of the MAP Test, will be recognized immediately following the free meal.