Thacher to resign from FM school board

THACHER

FORT MADISON – A current Fort Madison School Board member has been hired as an assistant principal in an administrative shakeup in the district.
At Wednesday’s regular Fort Madison Community School District Board of Director’s meeting, the board approved a recommendation from current high school Principal Patrick Lamb to hire Amy Thacher as an assistant principal at a recommended salary of $86,000 per year.
Board President Josh Wykert said there are restrictions on how much a school board member can make from the district, therefore Thacher, who was elected in the last school board election would have to resign from the board.
Wykert said Wednesday that the district would have to appoint someone to take Thacher’s place in July. Thacher would have to resign prior to her contract for the next school year begins.
“The board will have to appoint someone to take her place probably in July,” Wykert said.
“That appointment would last until the next election this fall, and then the person elected at that point, would serve out the rest of her term which is 2027.”
Thacher was elected in 2023 and has more than two decades of educational experience as an academic coordinator, teacher, and literacy consultant.
Thacher will join Kelly Willson as the assistant principals at the Fort Madison Jr./Sr. High School. Willson was also hired on Wednesday at a recommended salary of $86,700. Adrian McKay, who was a co-principal with Lamb at the high school was transferred over to the Fort Madison Elementary School after two administrators at that building were placed on administrative leave prior to the end of the school year. The reason for that action was not disclosed by the district, but Wykert said it wasn’t disciplinary in nature.
McKay will serve as the elementary principal going forward at a recommended salary Wednesday of $114,500.