Blain hired as new CES principal

Renewing the contracts of superintendent of schools Quentin Breese and five of the administrators and the hiring of a new Concordia Elementary School principal were approved by the Concordia Unified School District 333 board of education during its regular meeting Monday night at the Concordia Middle School.
The school board approved a one-year contract extension for Breese, who has been the USD 333 superintendent since July of 2016.
One-year contract extensions were also approved for Concordia Junior-High School principal Chad Eshbaugh, Concordia Junior-Senior High School assistant principal/athletic director Skylar Hittle, Concordia Middle School principal Curtis Noon, Concordia Elementary School assistant principal and director of curriculum and instruction Krystal Breese and director of operations and technology director Kelly Struebing.
Hiring Ashley Blain to replace Derek Holmes as the Concordia Elementary School principal, effective August 1, was approved by the board.
Holmes is retiring effective September 1. He has been an administrator in the district since 2007 and is also the head coach of the high school boys' basketball team.
Blain has been a junior-senior high school English teacher in the district since 2012.
A graduate of Oklahoma Wesleyan University with a bachelor of arts degree in secondary English education, Blain earned her master of arts degree in teaching from Kaplan University and her educational administration and building leadership certificate from the University of Kansas in December 2023.
Included in the certified staff changes approved by the board was the resignation of Jordan Echer as a physical education instructor at the Concordia Junior-Senior High School.
Echer has also resigned as the head coach of the high school football team, a position he held for five years. He has accepted the job as the football coach at The Independent School in Wichita.
Also approved was the hiring of Cassidy Stenson as an interrelated teacher at the Concordia Elementary School.
Classified personnel hires approved by the board include Kevin Muff, assistant high school track and field coach; Ashley Carlgren, junior-senior high school assistant track and field coach; Cav Carlgren, assistant junior high track and field coach; and William Conner, assistant junior high track and field coach.
In other action taken during the meeting, the board approved an increase in pay for substitute teachers, from $120 per day to $125.
Denis Miller, Mapes & Miller LLP, presented the 2023 audit report to the board.
Miller informed the board that there were no material weaknesses and no significant deficiencies identified.
"It is as good a report as you would expect to receive," Miller said.
The board voted to approve the audit as presented.
During the meeting, the board met in executive session for 15 minutes with Breese for the purpose of discussing non-elected personnel.