Mexico 59 welcomes new Superintendent

Mexico 59 welcomes new Superintendent
Posted on 02/14/2020
February 14, 2020 - The Board of Education is pleased to announce Dr. Tammy Lupardus as the incoming Superintendent for Mexico School District 59. On July 1, 2020, Dr. Lupardus will officially begin her duties serving over 2,500 students and 365 staff members. Dr. Lupardus is currently the Superintendent of the Charleston R-I School District, where she has held the top seat since 2016 and serves 900 students in a prekindergarten through 12th grade school district. Along with her administrative experience, Dr. Lupardus has also worked as a special education teacher, service learning educator, and an early childhood special educator. 

The appointment of Dr. Lupardus derived from a superintendent search in collaboration between the Board of Education and the Missouri Association of Rural Educators (MARE). MARE accepted applications and narrowed the search to three candidates, who were presented to the Board in early February. The Board offered building tours, a faculty and staff forum, and an interview to each individual. President Dustin Pascoe shared, “We look forward to working with Dr. Lupardus. We believe she has the right energy and priorities to continue and intensify the progress of our district. She is an excellent communicator, collaborator, and has a useful focus on the ‘teacher voice’ in the learning process. Her enthusiasm, care, and values will serve everyone concerned very well. We expect great things.”

To continue to prioritize educational values, Dr. Lupardus is an active member of the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA), the Missouri Association of School Business Officials (MoASBO), the Missouri Association of Public Relations (MOSPRA), and a small schools representative for the Missouri Association of Rural Educators (MARE). 

With a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from SLU and an Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Administration from UMKC, Dr. Lupardus brings 19 years of successful administrative experience to Mexico 59. As a youth, Dr. Lupardus moved out on her own at the age of 16 and was considered homeless. She worked as an assistant manager at a local bakery and would prep food items before walking to her classes at the high school. Her own life experiences fostered a passion for education and mental health. She strengthened her devotion and commitment for at-risk learners by accepting her first Superintendent position in the Charleston R-I School District in 2016 where the free and reduced lunch rate is 100%. 

Dr. Lupardus’s family has been an avid supporter and partner for her campaign in at risk education. She has been married to her husband Rob for 28 years; he is a reading specialist and former police officer. Together they have four birth children: Christopher (21), Nicholas (28), Julie (31), Justin (37), and several grandchildren. The family has also fostered twelve children in their home over the years, whom they are still in contact with and solidly claim, “Once family, always family.” 

Dr. Lupardus will take the reins from Dr. Zach Templeton, who announced his retirement in November and has led the Mexico 59 School District for eight years. Upon his retirement in June, Dr. Templeton plans to relocate to Tennessee with his family and likely pursue another educational endeavor.