Lowes Elementary School SBDM Council hires ‘powerhouse team’ of Ryan Marchetti, Sarah Wright Holmes as leaders
Written by Paul Schaumburg Community Relations Director Graves County Schools Lowes Elementary School’s site-based decision-making council Monday, April 25, hired Ryan Marchetti as the school’s principal and Sarah Wright Holmes, interim principal for most of the current school year, as assistant principal, beginning with the 2016-17 school year.
Teacher Amanda Turner serves as chairman of Lowes’ site-based decision-making council. “When we met on Thursday afternoon, Mrs. Dublin offered it as an alternative possibility for us because we liked both candidates,” Turner explained. “She told us this position would be voted on that night [at the school board meeting]. We thought that would be a good option for us! Sarah has strong community ties here and has done a lot of wonderful things that we love. We think they’re going to balance each other out very well. He comes with more of the instructional coaching background and she comes with the community. She’s math. He’s reading. So, we think we’ll have a very well-rounded leadership team.”
“This year, we have an assistant principal pilot at Wingo and Central elementary schools. Neither is an added position. Each was already in their staffing allocations,” said Graves County Schools Superintendent Kim Dublin. “It requires
someone who has an administrative degree. Mr. Marchetti will assign those roles between him and Mrs. Holmes. You’re looking at a powerhouse of a leadership team here! He brings a lot of instructional strength to this school and district. I think he’s going to make me a better superintendent and he will make a better administrative staff and teaching staff at Lowes. He is all about kids! He comes with a math background. Mrs. Holmes has a reading background and a love for the community.”
Dublin said that when she became superintendent nearly three years ago, four principal openings in the district took a significant portion of the available leadership talent within the district to fill. The new option Lowes and the other
two schools are using will help rebuild the pool of leadership talent, she said.
Marchetti smiled broadly, noting attractions for him to the job. “I know what a successful school district the Graves County School District is and I really want to get in elementary,” he noted. “I’ve worked in a middle school and a high school. I’m really excited about the opportunities with elementary school teachers and kids!
Mrs. Holmes has done a great job as the interim [principal]. I plan on working with her on the things we need to improve, whether it’s our culture, curriculum, or instruction. That’s my job to assess over the next couple of months and to get to where we need to be. This is a very strong school already! That’s kind of the toughest thing – to make a good school a great school. Hopefully, that’s what I can bring here and take us over the top!”
As for his background, he said, “For the last seven years, I’ve been in the Marshall County School District – as a high school math teacher and then for the last two years, including now, I am the principal at South Marshall Middle School.
Originally, I’m from Christopher, Ill., outside Carbondale,” he continued. “I came to western Kentucky to attend Murray State University. I liked western Kentucky and I stayed around. I met my wife and I guess I’m here for good! Her name is Brittany. My wife is a realtor in Murray and we have a two-month-old son named Roman.”
Holmes taught for 13 years at Symsonia and has worked at Lowes the past three years, teaching and then as interim principal most of this school year. “I feel like it’s going to be a great thing! I think we can team up together and feed off each other’s strengths,” she said. “Hopefully, we’ll be a powerhouse team in the district. I’m looking forward to it!”