Anselmo-Merna Superintendent Dr. Logan Lightfoot has announced he will resign from his position at the end of the 2021-2022 school year and has accepted a superintendent position in Maryville, Missouri.
According to an article from the Maryville Forum, the Maryville R-II Board of Education announced on Friday, December 3 the upcoming superintendent vacancy would be filled by Lightfoot beginning July 1, 2022.
Lightfoot moved to the area in 2018 after the A-M Board of Education gave him an opportunity to become the superintendent. He told KCNI/KBBN it was one of the most difficult decisions he and his family had to make to come to an area, not knowing anyone.
“It was one of the toughest things we had ever done as a family or I had ever done professionally, but four years later it was the best thing I have ever done,” said Lightfoot.
Lightfoot noted the community and school embraced him and his family as soon as they arrived in the area. He also commented on the willingness of the A-M Board to take a chance on a guy that had no superintendent experience.
Lightfoot said, “They would question and challenge me when they needed to and appropriately, but I have never felt anything but 100% support from my board.”
Maryville, MO., the next landing spot for Lightfoot and his family, around 70 minutes north of Kansas City, is a district that has approximately 1,600 students K-12. He said the school district was a draw for him, but the ability to be closer to family was also a big part of the decision. Lightfoot said he and his wife, Leanna, both have families within driving distance of the Maryville area.
Lightfoot will remain the superintendent at A-M through June of 2022. He expects the A-M Board will accept his resignation at the school board meeting next week.
“I met with my leadership team last week and my comment to them was ‘I’m the Anselmo-Merna Superintendent until the day I am not,’” said Lightfoot. “We have a lot of really great things left to do, a lot of things left to accomplish, and we’re going to get them done.”
