Pikeland board listens to constituents

By Editor | March 24, 2026 |

By BETH ZUMWALT

Jacquelyn Feldspauch, union president at Pikeland Unit 10, picked up a piece of paper, turned to fully packed east bleachers in the PCS gym and said “We’re good.”
Those two words caused the crowd to erupt in thunderous applause and a standing ovation.
The paper Feldspauch was referring to at last Wednesday, March 18’s meeting of the Pikeland School Board was a list of administrators that were being retained by the board.
The board had just returned from a one hour, 15 minute closed session and did not read the lists of administrators, teachers, coaches and non-certified personnel, instead, just asking for approval of the lists as presented.
Rumor had it that Pittsfield High School Principal Angie Greger would not be on the retention list. The rumor turned out to be false as Gregor was retained.
Twelve speakers signed in to speak the board, all singing Greger’s praises and pointing out her dedication to her job. The speakers included former teachers at PHS, students at the school and parents.
Once the meeting had adjourned and Feldspauch made her announcement, a crowd swarmed Gregor, an 18-year veteran of Pikeland Unit 10, as she sobbed with joy and appreciation.
Speakers included Pittsfield High School students, Jonas Anderson, Bailey Hill, Emma Wombles and Emma Moss. Abby Chamberlain, a former student, also spoke, as did, parents, Kimberly Speckhart, Tammy Hubbard, Nicole Noble. Former teachers Mike Smith, Jody Heavner and former guidance counselor at the school, Michelle Westbrook, also spoke. Kindra Phillips, a current teacher at the school addressed the board as well.
All spoke in favor Greger and her dedication and love of the students. Every speaker mentioned how she had guided PHS through the worst year, last year, when three students died in two separate auto accidents and two others were seriously injured.
A 13th speaker at the meeting, Trenton Monroe, owner of Pike County Glass, was not there to speak about Gregor.
He, instead, was upset about the bid that had been granted earlier in the meeting to Garner Glass. The bid was for $284, 392 and is to replace 91 windows at Pikeland Community School over the summer months. The windows are original to the 30-year-old building and the cost includes blinds for the windows and replacing the window sills.
The company expects to do eight windows a day and start the project as soon as school is out. The finished deadline will be before school opens in August.
The company handling the window replacements also offered to do a survey of Pittsfield High School, checking H-Vac, electricity, roof, etc and manage those projects as well.
“I am disappointed in the lack of communication in the way the bids were advertised,” Monroe said. “I didn’t know anything about it. I would have thought someone in the district could have reached out to me. I shouldn’t have to pay one dollar every week, just to see what jobs are out there.”
Monroe said he had been told the project had been advertised in the local paper, on several sites where projects such as this are usually listed, but, he thought someone in the administration should have reached out to him. He said he frequently monitors sites designed to solicit bids on governmental properties and had bid on and received bids from as far away as Springfield, Mo.
“There was nothing to keep the administration from reaching out to me,” Monroe said. “I pay $8,500 in school taxes and we might not have won the bid or even been able to bid on it, but, we should have had the chance. I’m just asking for a fair opportunity.”
The board took Monroe’s comments, but, took no action to rescind the bid they had let earlier in the meeting.
The board also heard an update from Tracy Allen concerning the school’s strategic planning meeting.
The plan will be a three to five year plan and surveys are available to students, staff and community members.
The board also set graduation dates, Pittsfield High School will hold graduation ceremonies May 22 and eighth grade promotion will be the proceeding day, May 21.
In other personnel matters, the board accepted resignations from Baylee Quiller as third grade teacher at PCS, Carrie Wyatt, school social worker, Kim Groom, first grade teacher, and Michelle Frieden as language arts teacher, both retirement resignation effective at the end of the school year, Susan Kattelman, part-time kitchen server/cashier. All resignation are effective the end of the school year. Angie McEuen and Michelle McKee both resigned a full-time hot lunch cooks effective March 13 and 17 respectively.
Hirings included Kindra Phillips as home-bound instructor for the district, Chloe Opits,full-time paraprofessional, Robert Goodwin, music teacher for the 2026-27 school year, Nicole Leahr, elementary teacher for the 2026-27 year, Shea O’Brien Kindhart was granted a voluntary transfer to elementary school teacher for the 26-27 school year.
Hired as summer help were: ;;Hannah Abelkodous, Jaynee Heafner, Javan Petty, Jackson Veile.
Zach Ferguson was hired as summer and seasonal groundskeeper for the district, effective March 18,