SJSD School Board approves new administrators
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — The St. Joseph School District Board of Education has approved the appointments of two administrators for the 2025-2026 school year.
Dr. Kati Reid has been appointed as the Director of Secondary Education, replacing Dr. Lara Gilpin, who is retiring on June 30, 2025.
Reid began her career in 2009 and joined SJSD in 2010. Reid was an English teacher at the middle and high school level for 12 years. Most of her teaching career was invested in Spring Garden Middle School. She has been an assistant principal and principal at Benton High School for the past three years.
Reid earned her Ed.D in Superintendency and Education Specialist degree in Educational Leadership from Williams Woods University.
She also has a Bachelor's of Science in English and a Masters of Science in Assessment from Missouri Western State University.
Makayla Mekonnen has been appointed as assistant principal at Oak Grove Elementary for the 2025-2026 school year. She replaces Tom Evans, who was appointed as principal at Edison Elementary.
Mekonnen began her career in SJSD in 2015. During her 10 years of education, she has held varied k-12 roles, including special education, classroom teacher and behavior interventionist.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from MWSU and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Northwest Missouri State University.
Mekonnen is currently pursuing her Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from Baker University, with anticipated completion in 2025.
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