The Kearney School District is welcoming home one of its own and lifting one of its own up into new leadership positions.

*Dr. Amy Baugh - Principal of the Early Education Center*

The KSD Board of Education formally approved the appointment of Dr. Amy Baugh as the Principal of the Early Education Center (EEC) on May 18.

Kearney Elementary School Principal Mitch Masker currently splits a portion of his time at the EEC. Dr. Baugh’s arrival will allow both buildings to have fully dedicated administrators.

“I’m very pleased that Dr. Baugh is joining our team of school leaders,” Interim Superintendent Todd White said. “She has outstanding experience and skills, and she already loves the Kearney community. This is a great addition and we’re all excited to see her take our early education program to the next level.”

Baugh earned two bachelor’s degrees from Northwest Missouri State University, a master’s degree from the University of Missouri and an Ed.D. in leadership and learning from Aspen University. She started her public education career as a special education teacher for nearly five years in KSD.

“I am honored to have this opportunity to serve the staff, students and parents of the Kearney Early Education Center and the greater district community,” Dr. Baugh said. “I feel tremendously blessed to be returning to the district I remember so fondly as the foundation of my career in education.”

She spent five years focused on teaching students with autism in Park Hill School District before becoming a Process Coordinator for Smithville School District in 2017. That job demands mastery of a wide range of complex procedures, rules and regulations generally related to providing services for students who need special education or who are considered at-risk. This experience will be particularly important at the EEC, where the Acorn Patch program includes many students who qualify for those types of services. Baugh’s work in Smithville earned her the school district’s 2021 Excellence in Support of Education Award.

“This position is a dream for me,” Baugh said. “It combines my years of experience in special education with my passion for supporting staff and students to achieve their goals.”

*Brian Webster - Assistant Principal for Kearney Middle School*

The school board also approved the selection of Brian Webster as the new Assistant Principal for Kearney Middle School. Mr. Webster is currently a sixth-grade math teacher at KMS, a position he’s held for more than 15 years. Before that, he taught science at the school. He spent the first two years of his career as a fifth-grade teacher in Excelsior Springs School District.

“Brian will be able to hit the ground running as our new assistant principal because he’s already a part of the KMS team,” Principal Bart Woods said. “He’s got great relationships with our students, families and staff.”

Current KMS Assistant Principal Erek Noland was recently tapped for the new Director of Operations position. After about two decades in classrooms at KMS, Webster felt fully prepared for the shift to school leadership.

“At this point in my career, I felt the time was right for me to transition into an administrative role,” Webster said. “For this leadership role to occur at Kearney Middle School is an amazing opportunity since I have spent the majority of my career at the middle school level in Kearney.”

Webster earned his bachelor’s degree from William Jewell College, a Master of Education Administration from Park University and an advanced specialist degree from Northwest Missouri State University.

KPGZ News- Kearney School District Director of Communications and Community Relations Ray Weikal contributed to this story