Frontenac board approves resignations and hires after executive session

Following a closed executive session on non-elected personnel under the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA), the Frontenac Unified School District 249 Board approved a set of resignations and retirements and then approved multiple hires for the 2026–27 school year and summer school.

The board entered executive session at 8:08 PM by a motion from Stacy Ferraro, seconded by Seth Nutt, citing the non-elected personnel exception under KOMA; the motion passed 7-0. Superintendent Howard Smith and District Coordinator Brandy Stanley joined the board in executive session. The board returned to open session and extended the executive session twice before returning to open session at 8:28 PM.

After returning to open session, a motion by Jenna Stout and seconded by Lindsay Smith passed 7-0 to approve the resignations of Clint Hayes (HS STUCO & sophomore class sponsor), Dawson Lapping (JH & HS assistant wrestling coach), Jayden Duff (PreK teacher) and Courtney Dowty (PreK aide), and to accept the retirement of Mary Warrick as a junior high teacher while waiving the district’s 3/1 notification requirement for retirement.

The board then approved hiring multiple staff for 2026–27, including Megan Dixon (SFA aide), Gracie Hilderbrand (HS assistant volleyball coach), Kelly Schuab (JH cheer assistant), Ann Brown (half-time JH activities director), and a list of fall and winter supplementals and summer-school staff, with the full hire list recorded in the minutes. The motion to approve hires passed 7-0.

Human Resources was directed to process the resignations and complete onboarding for the approved hires. The meeting adjourned at 8:29 PM.