Rhonda Allen-Lewis named next principal of Belair Elementary in Jefferson City
Ryan Shiner
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Rhonda Allen-Lewis will be the next principal of Belair Elementary School in Jefferson City, according to a Thursday press release from the Jefferson City School District.
Allen-Lewis is currently an assistant principal at Lewis and Clark Middle School and will replace current Todd Shalz, who was recently named as the district’s new assistant superintendent of elementary education, the release says.
Pending school board approval, she will start her new role in July, the release says.
“I am passionate about building relationships with students, staff, and families, and about creating a positive and collaborative school environment,” Allen-Lewis said in the release. “I am eager to bring my dedication, leadership skills, and student-centered mindset to the role of principal, and I am so looking forward to getting to know and work alongside the Belair family.”
The release says she is a Jefferson City High School graduate and earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master of education degree in guidance and counseling from Lincoln University. She also earned a master’s degree in school administration at Grand Canyon University.
She started her educational career 23 years ago with JCSD, first as a third grade teacher at East Elementary before teaching second- and fourth grades at Thorpe Gordon Elementary, the release says. She was named the JC Schools Outstanding Educator in 2009 and the Teacher of the Year in 2017, according to the release.
She became the behavior interventionist at Thorpe Gordon in 2018 and eventually took on the assistant principal role in 2021, the release says.
The release says in 2022, Allen-Lewis was honored as a woman of achievement by Zonta of Jefferson City. She is also a member of the Lincoln University Alumni Council.