The Mehlville Board of Education voted in closed session last week to hire an elementary school principal and three elementary school assistant principals.

Buerkle Middle School Assistant Principal Christa Warner was named principal of Wohlwend Elementary School for the 2007-2008 school year.

She will be paid $96,208.

The board voted unanimously to approve a motion by Secretary Micheal Ocello and seconded by Larry Felton to hire Warner. She will replace Ellen Henneberry-Smith, who is retiring.

In separate votes, the board unanimously hired assistant principals at Bierbaum, Trautwein and Blades elementary schools.

Scott Clark was named assistant principal at Bierbaum Elementary School for the 2007-2008 school year. Clark, who currently is a teacher at Point Elementary School, will be paid $76,350.

Chad Dickemper was named assistant principal at Blades Elementary School for the 2007-2008 school year. Dickemper, who currently is a teacher at Bernard Middle School, will be paid $76,350.

Dave Meschke was named assistant principal at Trautwein Elementary School for the 2007-2008 school year. Meschke, who currently is a teacher at Point Elementary School, will be paid $76,350.

In a separate matter at the May 17 meeting, the board voted unanimously in open session to approve a 25-cent increase in the cost of lunch for elementary and secondary schools for the coming school year.

The cost of elementary lunch now will be $2 — $2.50 for branded pizza — and the cost of secondary lunch now will be $2.25 — $2.75 for branded pizza and spicy chicken sandwiches.

The increase is projected to generate an additional $137,000 in revenue and is designed to offset a projected 4-percent in-crease in costs — roughly $132,000.

This is the first increase in lunch prices in three years.