Perry County district takes on new administrators

Perry County District 32 will get three new administrators next year, according to a district news release.

Jeanie White will become assistant superintendent, replacing Russell Leek, who retired. Rich Thomas will take over as principal of Perryville high School after the retirement of Lee Gaddis. Craig Hayden will become career center director, taking over from Steve King, who is retiring.

The new administrators visited the district April 11.

White is the junior high principal and grade 7-12 instructional leader at LaClede Co. R-I, which has about 990 students and employs about 185, the release said. She and her husband Mike have four children, two of whom will attend District 32 schools next year. They are moving to Perryville from Marshfield, near Springfield.

Thomas is principal at Scott County Central High School. He and his wife, Kristin, who is a teacher, live in Cape Girardeau with their 6-year-old son, Will.

Hayden, assistant principal at Central High School in Cape Girardeau, was an assistant principal at Perryville High School, the release said. He and his wife, Debbie, live in Perryville with their daughters, Brooke and Annie.