The West Platte Board of Education has selected Brock Dover as the next secondary principal at the West Platte R-II School District during the regular board meeting last week.
Dover will start in the fall and will replace Vince Matlick, who is retiring.
Dover comes to West Platte and has spent the past 10 years at the Richmond R-XVI School District in Richmond, Mo. He was the high school assistant principal for four years before spending the past six years as the district assistant superintendent.
Brock Dover
He got a two-year contract for $121,000 per year and a $2,000 moving stipend according to board minutes.
In his positions, Dover has worked closely with staff to implement many initiatives that include quality professional development, student achievement, safe and secure school infrastructure, capital and community projects, and district assessment tools.
Dover is originally from Carrollton, Mo. He and his wife, Alison, have one daughter, Kendall, and one son, Cale.
Dover has been an active member of the Richmond Rotary Club and served one term as a board member of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce. The Dovers are members of the Faith Lutheran Church in Richmond and actively volunteer their time as youth coaches of various sports for the Richmond Recreation Department.
He is a graduate of Missouri Valley College with a bachelor of science in physical education in 2000. He earned a Master’s of science in educational administration from Lindenwood University in 2008. He later followed by earning a specialist degree in educational administration from Lindenwood in 2015.
“I look forward to the opportunity to work with all the gifted and talented students and staff at West Platte,” Dover said in a press release issued on Tuesday, Feb. 25. “I am excited to serve the students, staff, parents and patrons and humbly accept the challenge. West Platte is a wonderful school-community, and I am excited for my family to become a part of it. It is my honor to serve the community proudly and look forward to meeting and establishing relationships with the West Platte Blue Jay nation.”
In other news from the meeting, the district will move forward with a scaled-down signage update for the elementary and high school buildings.
Superintendent Dr. John Rinehart told board members a decision would need to be made soon for the new signage to be in place by next fall. Last month, board members heard a presentation on an update to install new signage at the schools, Benner Park and at the southeast corner of the district’s campus. An archway sign over the Benner Park entrance was estimated at about $50,000 while the monument sign at the corner could cost $75,000.
Board members balked at the price tags associated with so much signage, which potentially included electronic signs which were later determined to be prohibited in Weston. The board voted to eliminate excess signage at the park and campus entryway and to move ahead with updated signage at the two schools.
Summer maintenance projects were also discussed, with erosion repairs to the walking trail and flooring updates planned for several classroom and the Benner Park restrooms. Re-painting the high school gym is also planned. Participants in the cross country program would like to see the trail widened and asphalt applied to some areas at an approximate cost of $80,000.
The board also approved the first reading of its 2020-2021 school calendar. School would begin on Monday, Aug. 24 with the last day of school scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, 2021. The tentative plan to add extra hours to the school year up front would circumvent the need to make up snow days. The winter break would begin on Friday, Dec. 18 with students returning to school Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021.