Haggerty hired as Jefferson Elementary principal

For the third time since August, Jefferson Elementary School has a different principal.

The Cape Girardeau School Board on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting to name Tracy Haggerty, a longtime educator in the district, to succeed interim principal Kara Jokerst.

Jokerst, who was appointed in August to replace Leigh Ragsdale just prior to the beginning of 2020-2021 school year, submitted her resignation “to pursue other opportunities out of state,” according to district spokeswoman Kristin Tallent.

Haggerty, 45, has been an educator for 21 years and has spent her entire career in the Cape Girardeau School District.

According to a news release, Haggerty “has proven to be a strong and steady administrator at Central High School for four years.”

In 2010, Haggerty was one of five teachers recognized by the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce as an “educator of the year” for her work in special education at Terry W. Kitchen Central Junior High.

Haggerty, according to Tallent, holds a master’s degree in administration and is also a specialist in educational administration, having worked at the elementary, junior high and high school levels at Central.

“She is a district leader in trauma-informed practices and restorative discipline (and) is very well-versed in curriculum and working to create plans to help students fill in academic gaps,” Tallent continued.

Haggerty will not carry the “interim” tag at Jefferson, said Tallent, who indicated Haggerty will have permanent status as principal.

Haggerty’s appointment comes as Jefferson is on the cusp of significant expansion.

An $11.3 million “civic center” is planned for the school at 520 Minnesota Ave. with plans for a pool, a preschool center, four new classrooms, a new gymnasium, a commons area and kitchen upgrades.

The largest ticket item is the pool, estimated at $5.4 million, according to a presentation made to the board of education Sept. 28 by superintendent Neil Glass.