Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education voted 4-1 Wednesday night to hire Patrick McGinthy, O’Fallon, as Gillespie Middle School Principal for the 2022-23 school year. McGinthy steps into a vacancy created when the board hired form GMS Principal Tara Cooper for a newly-created assistant principal’s position last week.
The board met in executive session for
about 15 minutes before voting in open session to hire McGinthy, pending
confirmation of certification and a background check.
Without offering explanation, board
member Dennis Tiburzi voted against the hire. Last week, Tiburzi also cast the
sole negative votes against accepting Cooper’s resignation, hiring Cooper as
the assistant principal and posting the Middle School principal’s job as
vacant. Board members Bill Carter and Weye Schmidt were absent.
Supt. Shane Owsley said McGinthy was
selected from six finalists who had initially applied for the assistant
principal’s job.
McGinthy reportedly was teaching general music to sixth and seventh graders at Highland Middle School prior to accepting the position at Gillespie Middle School. He also taught fifth-grade beginning band at Highland Elementary School and classroom music at Highland Middle School. Owsley said McGinthy also taught language arts and served as a substitute administrator when Highland administrators were absent. He reportedly earned his administrative certification from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
Additionally, McGinthy has been a private
music instructor, served as guest conductor for local bands and orchestras, and
served on the staff of the Highland Marching Bulldogs. According to his
Linked-In page, he is a self-described fitness enthusiast who has served as a
private trainer.
He holds a Bachelor of Music degree with
an emphasis in performance from the University of Missouri at Columbia, and a
Master of Music, also with an emphasis in performance, from the University of
Louisville.
He lives in his hometown of O’Fallon,
with his wife, daughter and son.
Wednesday night’s action completes the
administrative staff prior to the start of the school year. A speech and
language pathologist’s position remains unfilled at this time, but otherwise
the district is fully staffed for the new academic year.
The board is scheduled to meet in regular
session at 6 p.m., Monday.
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