Blanchard hired as new Gentry High School principal

School teachers, staff given raises

Justin Blanchard, principal at Siloam Springs intermediate school, was hired to be the new principal at Gentry High School for the next school year.
Justin Blanchard, principal at Siloam Springs intermediate school, was hired to be the new principal at Gentry High School for the next school year.

GENTRY -- The school board in Gentry offered the post of high school principal to Justin Blanchard of Siloam Springs at a special board meeting on Monday evening, May 23, and Blanchard has accepted the job offer.

Gentry's current principal, Brae Harper, was transferred to be the federal programs curriculum coordinator for the school district in the new school year.

Blanchard currently serves as the intermediate school principal in the Siloam Springs School District and has served as a biology teacher and coach in Glenrose and Waldron high schools. Over the past 13 years, he has taught and served as assistant principal and principal in the Siloam Springs School District.

He is married to Allison Blanchard, a media specialist at Gentry High School, and they have three children, two in college and one in seventh grade.

Blanchard said he believes in developing a positive culture in the high school and intends to be present in the classrooms and hallways and build trust with teachers and students.

He said he looks forward to getting back into the high school educational setting, in which he started as both a teacher and a coach.

The school board also interviewed Roxanne Enix, principal of Huntsville High School, and after a lengthy executive session, both without and with Superintendent Terrie Metz present, voted unanimously in open session to offer the job to Blanchard.

In other action at the special meeting, the board passed on its second reading a policy change that will give teachers a $1,000 per year raise, in addition to step increases, and will give classified personnel a 50-cent-per-hour raise (which equals close to a $1,000 per year increase for the full-time support staff.

The board also approved the following personnel changes:

Accepted the resignations of Jonathan Lemke -- maintenance; Ethan Ramsey -- middle school science, athletics; and Sarah Horne -- as high school athletic trainer and teacher; the retirement of Tamhra Shawver -- district treasurer, effective June 30, 2023; the transfer of Heather Fox from the intermediate school to special education in the high school; hired Laura Lovell -- primary school music teacher; Joshua Blew -- ALE, assistant baseball, assistant football; Daniel Tu -- high school math; and Julie Kelly -- as a career coach.

The career coach position is being partially paid for by a 50/50 grant which runs for two or three years, according to Metz.