Dear Parents and Community Members,
The 2024-25 school year is now behind us! This was my first full year as Superintendent and during this time I have learned so much about the schools, its staff, the students and of course, the Waterville community. I’ve been asked by the Board to continue as Superintendent for the upcoming school year. It was an honor for me to accept this invitation.
I’m pleased to report today that the district is on solid footing with its finances. What a difference a year makes! Through the diligent work of Finance Director Kaionni DeShazer, her team and the oversight of the Board, the district is able to add staff and restore some of its programs for 2025-26 as a result of this work.
New staff for 2025-26 include:
Hillary Nelson, elementary teacher
Ellie Gear, elementary teacher/Dean of
Students
Samatha Thomsen, Food Service Lead
Each will be a fantastic addition to our already
outstanding staff.
What’s new in 25-26:
Mr. Nate Stewart will teach a HS-MS band
class
Mrs. Celia Cummings will teach a new
class called “Forensics” (a HS science class)
Ms. Samantha Fletcher will introduce Robotics/Drones to middle school
Ellie Gear, our newest hire, will serve as a Dean of Students for grades K-5
Dismissal times for students in grades 3-12 will be 3:30 pm
The district will go “cashless” this year, meaning all transactions will be with a card.
Grant Award:
As you may recall, the Waterville School District has been awarded a $6 million dollar state grant to make additional improvements to our facilities. Work is already underway to select contractors and subcontractors. The work will include upgrading the HVAC units, removing asbestos in the kitchen, upgrade kitchen appliances and installing upgraded technology access in all classrooms. We anticipate that the actual work will begin in the spring of 2026.
We sincerely thank you for your continued support of our schools!
Go Shockers!
Mike Parker
Superintendent