Moniteau DME

CHERRY TWP — Moniteau school board voted 5-3 with one abstention against posting an opening for a varsity head football coach at a meeting Monday, Nov. 27.

Michael Baptiste, chairman of the extracurricular committee which made the recommendation, voted in favor of posting the position.

“In my four years of being here, I have never seen the board vote against a committee recommendation,” he said.

Bob Rottman is head football coach at Moniteau. Under him, the Warriors have gone 9-38 since reaching the District 9 semifinals in 2018. Rottman has been the coach for six seasons.

Prior to voting, some members of the public expressed concern about posting the position.

Christopher Stamm, a parent in the district, asked for “cohesive continuity” regarding its athletic staff.

“There’s a lot of good in that locker room,” Stamm said. “We just got to make it work.”

The sentiment was echoed by other community members who stated that consistency would help athletic performance.

“Kids are going to play schools that have 50, 60 kids on the sidelines,” Jarrod Sankey, volunteer football coach, said. “We got 20. That’s tough ... we need some more support from the community and the school and everybody to help us down the road. The staff we had this year I thought was amazing. That was a lot of hard work put in by a lot of people.”

“I think changing (the staff) on these kids is gonna be rough on them,” Sankey said.

Before voting, board president Michael Panza said Rottman would be able to apply again for the position. Panza voted against posting the position.

Rottman is on a year-to-year contract with the district.

Directors also motioned to accept proposals from bus companies after accepting a letter from Campbell Bus Lines to exit its three-year contract with the district. The bus company has worked with the district for 54 years, board president Michael Panza said.

Campbell Bus will continue to work with the district until the end of June, Panza said. Directors agreed to begin soliciting offers from other bus companies for the 2024-25 school year.

“For 54 years, the company has done a wonderful job,” he said.

The board also accepted director Joann Duke’s letter of resignation due to personal circumstances.

“She was one hell of a teacher,” Stamm said, crediting her contributions to projects including the implementation of Dassa Mickinney Elementary School’s first playground.

Panza called her an “inspiration and role model” for students.

Following Duke’s resignation, the board has 30 days to fill the vacant seat, Panza said.