Kelly Roberts will be the principal of Washington Middle School in the Mehlville School District beginning with the 2020-2021 school year. Roberts has been the assistant principal at WMS since 2017.
The Mehlville Board of Education unanimously voted in closed session March 11 to approve hiring Roberts at a salary of $115,800. The district said “several highly qualified candidates applied for the position,” and parents, students and staff were all involved in the selection process.
Roberts will begin serving as principal at Washington Middle School on July 1. She replaces current Principal Justin Reynolds, who has accepted a position as the principal of a school in Dubai.
“Roberts is a proven leader dedicated to continuous improvement for all students and staff,” said Assistant Superintendent Jeff Bresler in a news release. “Her student-centered approach and passion for learning aligns with the values of WMS, and her commitment to embracing relationships that benefit students will help provide a seamless transition for the WMS students and staff.”
Beyond Roberts’ experience in school administration at Washington Middle, she served as the assistant principal at Bierbaum Elementary School from 2012-2017 and was the co-leader of the Mehlville School District Redistricting Team in 2016-2017.
Roberts previously served nine years as an elementary school teacher in Parkway School District. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from St. Louis University, a Master of Arts in Administration from Lindenwood University and a specialist in educational administration degree from Southeast Missouri State University.
“I am thrilled and honored to be named the next principal at Washington Middle School,” Roberts said in the release. “Over the past three years I have been able to witness firsthand the hard work and dedication of our staff and students. I look forward to working with our students, families, staff and the entire WMS community in my new role to help students learn the values and skills needed to be successful at the middle school-level and beyond.”
