SILEX, Mo. – The Silex R-1 School District is excited to announce Gina Harris as the new principal of Silex Elementary.

Harris will take over for the 2020-2021 school year. She is not a stranger to the district. She graduated from Silex High School in 1996.

“We are proud to have a former graduate who came back to Silex to teach and is now hired to be our new elementary principal,” said Board of Education President, Ben Henke. “We expect that with Mrs. Harris already in the district, her transition will be smooth, and the students and staff will benefit from her passion for them and the school.”

Harris has nine years experience with Silex Elementary. She also taught in the Troy School District for seven years. While in the Troy School District, she served as Summer School Principal and Assistant Principal Interim at Boone Elementary. Harris attended Lindenwood University where she obtained three master’s degrees. Those degrees include Elementary Administration, Education, and Business Administration.

“It is an honor to be selected as the next Silex Elementary Principal. Having graduated from Silex, I have a special connection, and sense of loyalty and dedication to this amazing school district,” Harris remarked. “I am excited to work with the students, staff, parents, and community members as we continue to strive for even greater success.”

Rod Hamlett, who takes over as superintendent next school year, shared his thoughts on Harris’s appointment as Silex Elementary Principal.

“We are very excited to have Mrs. Harris move into her new role in our district. Over the years, she has shown herself to be someone who values high level instruction and has a great love for her students. We are looking forward to her taking those attributes from teacher to principal. We are very lucky to have her joining our administrative team and I can’t wait to see how she makes Silex Elementary an even better place for our students.”

Harris is replacing Suzie Plackemeier who is retiring at the end of the school year after 11 years as elementary principal.

“I have truly enjoyed my time in the Silex School District. I am very proud of the success we have achieved in the elementary and as a district. Silex Elementary School earned 100 percent on the previous APR for eight years in a row,” Plackemeier stated.

While Silex will always be near and dear to Plackemeier’s heart, her plans include spending more time with her family.

“I would like to thank Mrs. Plackemeier for her service to the Silex School District. Her dedication and love for the students and community is evident in everything that she does and she will be missed. We wish her the best in her next endeavor,” Hamlett concluded.