The board approved the new position, 4-2, with Chris Gratton and Karen Bottary voting against and Stephanie Shupe absent. Fellow Board Member Drew Overmiller called into meeting and participated remotely.

Superintendent Loren Feldkamp also anticipates hiring two instructional coaches at the elementary school initially.

“I’m confident we can do that and still treat our staff in a very positive way and add staff we already approved,” Feldkamp said. “I strongly recommend it. This is something that will be beneficial to the school district for many years.

“This is how we’re going to move the needle academically.”

The school board also voted, 4-2, the hiring of Calesta Blazo as the next head principal at Tonganoxie Elementary School. Current principal Chuck Mahon recently announced that he was resigning, effective this summer. Blazo currently is an assistant principal at TES. The 4-2 board vote mirrored the director of school improvement services vote.