UPDATED (July 11, 2023) -- Neely Claassen will take over as principal at Landmark Elementary for the 2023-2024 school year. Claassen replaces Rachel Stevens who is leaving the role to spend more time with her family. Previously, Claassen was to take the lead as principal for the DRIVEN Virtual Academy (DVA) K-5. That role will now fall under Leslie Ireland who is already principal for grades 6-12 at DVA.
PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. -- The Pulaski County Special School District is excited to announce new leadership at four (4) schools and renewed the leadership positions at three (3) other schools for the 2023-2024 school year.
Two PCSSD high schools will have new leaders next school year. Ms. Teresa Moka will transition from her role as assistant principal to principal at Mills University Studies High School. Moka has served as assistant principal at Mills University Studies High for the past two school years and was an instructional coach within PCSSD before. Prior to joining PCSSD, she worked for the Pine Bluff School District as a secondary principal and assistant principal over the course of five years. She spent three years as an assessment specialist program advisor for the Arkansas Department of Education. Prior to job with ADE, she was a classroom teacher for seven years.
Across the river, Dr. Nick Farr will take over as principal at Maumelle High School, replacing Jason Young who is moving to the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District. Farr returns to PCSSD having spent the last two school years at Lee County School District in Marianna, Arkansas. He has worked in education for 10 years primarily in fine arts and athletics. Farr worked as a choir and orchestra director in the Little Rock School District for five years then moved to PCSSD where he was choir director for one school year. Farr has also coached football and girls sports over his tenure in education. More recently, Farr was an assistant principal in the Jacksonville North Pulaski School District for two years before moving to Lee County to serve as principal for the past two years.
Staying in the Maumelle feeder, Oak Grove Elementary welcomes Staisey Hodge as its principal for the next school year. Hodge just completed her 33rd year working in education, all of which has been with PCSSD. For the past five years she served as an assistant principal at Chenal Elementary and then William Jefferson Clinton Elementary. Prior to her leadership role, she has worked several positions in education including time as a special education resource teacher, multi-age teacher and an instructional literacy and math coach.
DRIVEN Virtual Academy will have new leadership at the Kindergarten through fifth grade level next year. Neely Claassen spent the past two years with PCSSD as an assistant principal at Chenal Elementary. Prior to her time in PCSSD, she worked in Caddo Parish Public Schools in Shreveport, Louisiana where she taught fourth grade for seven years. She then spent five years with Mayflower Public Schools as an assistant principal at Mayflower Elementary.
After two years as interim, the following administrators were hired as permanent principals for the following schools:
College Station Elementary - Anjelica Evans
Harris Elementary - Erikka Johnson
Sylvan Hills Elementary - Britney Hickman
We look forward to an exciting new school year with these administrators leading schools for the 2023-2024 year. School resumes on August 14, 2023.