Perry County hires new school superintendent from Meadow Heights

Perry County School District 32 will have a new superintendent June 30.

Andrew Comstock, superintendent of the Meadow Heights R-II district in Patton, Missouri, recently accepted the job.

He will replace Scott Ireland, who announced his resignation from District 32 in October. Ireland is filling out the remainder of the time specified in his three-year employment contract.

"I'm excited about the opportunity," Comstock said during a phone interview Friday evening. "I'm just excited."

Two of Comstock's children are students in the Perryville district, and his wife is an art teacher at the high school.

He said he's especially glad for the opportunity to be superintendent because he knows the district is a good one. It also is considered a professional learning community, a concept in which he's professionally invested.

Although Comstock has enjoyed his four years leading the Meadow Heights district, he said he hasn't been able to become as involved as he'd like in the community and as he did when he worked for several years as a teacher and assistant superintendent in Sikeston, Missouri. Most of his personal connections are in the Perryville area, and he's often felt pulled in different directions.

"I'm primarily just trying to put my family and my workplace together, just trying to make a difference in the community where I live and work," he said.

The fact his family members are in the district will have no effect on his leadership or decision-making, he said.

Comstock also isn't daunted by challenges that await.

When Ireland announced his intention to resign last year, he said he felt the school board was divided and had lost its focus.

"They've been split before I came, and they're probably going to be split afterward," he said in a Southeast Missourian story at the time. "We've had comments made from board members toward others that are inappropriate. Just seems like right now, in my mind, we aren't focused where our focus needs to be. We need to be focused on children, and we just don't seem to be able to get out of our own way right now."

In mid-August, Perry County school board member Mark Gremaud was censured for allegedly making derogatory, sexist remarks to fellow board member Kathy Carron during a closed session.

Comstock said his goal is to help unite the board and the rest of the district and bring the focus back to students.

"You do mend and you do heal and you can push forward," he said.

He anticipates his first six months to a year in the new position will be spent getting to know constituents and establishing trust and collegiality. Then he will be more prepared to confront issues he isn't already aware of.

"Again, I think it's about trust. I believe in building relationships and having people understand where you're coming from," Comstock said, "based on we're all in this together."

The first order of business will be to establish a shared vision and goals in as civil of a manner as possible.

"It's OK to disagree, but do it in an agreeable manner," he said. "As a board, we have to focus on what we're there for, and that's kids."

He said the board voted unanimously, 7-0, on his hire. His contract is for two years and his annual salary will be $130,000.

Attempts to reach District 32 board president Nancy Voelker were unsuccessful. She was quoted as saying in a news release about Comstock's new position: "We're very, very happy that Andy has accepted the position. He brings with him not just a great deal of experience -- he is already committed to our community. ... We're confident that every decision Andy makes will be made in the best interest of our students and staff."

ljones@semissourian.com

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