Chris Rutledge has been a Willow Springs School Board member for the past 4 1/2 years. He is a 1989 graduate of Summersville High School. After high school he furthered his education at the University of Missouri-Rolla where he received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. After graduating from UMR in 1994 he began working at the Missouri Department of Transportation and has continued working there ever since.
When asked what the future for the Willow Springs District is, he said "The future is what we make of it. I foresee us building on the what we have done in recent years with emphasis on Mission, Flexibility, Teamwork, Compassion, Respect, Responsibility, and Trust."

Written by Eli Dawson

Gene Corman is just finishing his third year as a Willow Springs School Board member. He graduated from Willow Springs and after high school he got his B.S. in Animal Science from Southwest Missouri State. He thinks there are many areas that need to continue to be improved and there are plans in place to address many concerns. The one area that he thinks would have the greatest and most lasting impact on our students education and their lives would be more parental involvement. In every aspect from getting them to bed at a decent time at night, getting them fed and to school in the morning, to supporting their teachers by helping their children with their homework, every parent could improve their children’s lives and the effectiveness of our school by being more involved with education and by setting a good example of respect for it.
Gene is optimistic for the future of our school. He thinks as long there is continued growth in the population of the area, there will be a growth trend for the number of students in our district. He also thinks the board must make financial plans for this growth and keep focused on improving academic quality. One area of focus now is the Reading Recovery program for the younger students which reduces the number of students needing remedial help in this area as they mature.

Written by Nathan Mersch

Terry McElyea has been a board member for Willow Springs School District for 8 years now. Terry graduated from Willow Springs High School in 1981. After high school, he went into the Air Force, got married, and then had a family. He is now employed at FedEx.
When asked if he could change one thing about the Willow Springs School, he said that he would like to add a larger commons area to the high school, so that the students wouldn't have to eat lunch so late.
Terry thinks that the future for the school system seems very bright. He says that we have many good, young teachers in our system, bringing in new ideas.

Written by Kayla Allcorn

Naomi Dyck graduated with the class of 1970 from Henderson High School in Henderson, NE. After graduating, Naomi attended the Bethel Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing until 1973. She then attended Southwest Baptist University and received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1995. She received her Masters of Science in Nursing, specialty in Family Nurse Practitioner from the University Missouri of Columbia in 1997.
If Naomi could change one thing about the Willow Springs School facilities it would be to add facilities to have adequate space for all of the programs the school offers. Naomi has been a school board member of the Willow Springs School System for 12 years.
When asked what the future will be for the Willow Springs School System, Naomi replied, “I believe that we have a very bright future. We have very dedicated administration and staff that are willing to go above and beyond to provide a quality education for our students. With the level of dedication that we have, I believe that our school system will be a model for surrounding school districts.”

Written by Emily Lovan

Jeanette Rouse graduated from Chariho Regional HS in Chariho, Rhode Island, then attended Creighton University in Omaha, NE and became board certified. She has been a board member for three years ending her first term in April.
When asked, "What is the future of the W.S school district" Jeanette replied, "If only we had a crystal ball - my gut feeling is we can only move ahead in a positive way. The support and sacrifice that has been shown this last year from our staff going through the tough budget issue is proof that we are going to succeed in giving our children the best education possible. I also feel that we have an administration that is not just ready to sit back and be complacent, that they are always looking ahead at what improvements can be made with what we have available.
The one thing that she would like to see for the W.S school would be a zero percent drop out rate with every student seeing the value of a high school diploma. Jeanette sums it all up with a quote by Tommy LaSorta. " The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination."

Written by Beth Hohlt

Janet Shaw graduated from Willow Springs High School in 1972 and is now in her seventh year of serving on the Willow Springs School Board.
When asked if she could change one thing about the WS school Janet said she would add more room to the physical school itself. She said that there are several areas where the school is over crowded and others where there is no room at all for things we would like to have.
Janet’s statement toward the future of the W.S. School District is, “I think the future looks bright for our school district. We have a great staff that really cares about the students. We are always looking for ways to improve and will continue to move forward.”

Written by Brittany Welton

Info coming soon.