Red Oak school board hires Inman principal, two others

RED OAK — The Red Oak School Board approved three new hires for Red Oak High School and Inman Primary at a closed session during last Tuesday’s meeting.

Gayle Allensworth was hired as the new Inman Principal and Director of Special Education for the District.

Jeff Spotts was hired as the new assistant principal and activities director for Red Oak High School. Billy Bob Orsagh was hired to be the new coach for the Red Oak High School football team and will be a physical education teacher.

All three applicants were unanimously approved by the Board.
There is more about the Spotts and Orsagh hires on B1 of the Red Oak Express.

Allensworth will be taking over at Inman Primary for Buck Laughlin, who announced his retirement last month, after more than 30 years of service.

“Red Oak is my home,” Allensworth said. “I’ve been here for 18 years and have had lots of different jobs in education and just felt like it was an opportunity where Mr. Laughlin has worked so hard to create a very strong staff and an environment down there. It felt like an opportunity for me to step into it.”

Allensworth said she has been in contact with the teachers at Inman and that they have been welcoming and positive.

“They want to extend a welcome and tell me that they’re very excited to continue the good stuff and some opportunities for change, too,” she said.

The position of special education director was added when Monica Crouch requested early retirement at a January school board meeting.

The move to combine the positions had to do with budget cuts.

“I really enjoyed working at the high school,” Allensworth said. “It’s a job that I set a goal for.”

Her current job is as a special education instructor at Red Oak High School, which she has held for the past three years.

Allensworth has worked as a consultant at AEA 13 in Loess Hills and as well as a building administrator at Villisca.

“I have had direct experience in both elementary admistration and supervision of special education,” she said.

Allensworth would like to continue Inman’s sense of community and philosophy about doing what’s right for every child individually and colletively.

“I just want to keep doing the good stuff and I want to be a team member with everybody,” she said.

All three will assume their jobs on July 5.