The Fayette school district has announced several new hires recently, most notably the new high school principal and a new high school girls basketball coach.

Jason Hannam will be the new principal at Fayette High School. He takes over for Ross Dobson, who leaves Fayette after two years to become high school principal at his alma mater in New Franklin.

Hannam is probably most recognizable around here as a longtime high school basketball referee. He is vice president of the Columbia Basketball Officials Association (CBOA) and has officiated several games involving area teams. 

For the past 17 years, he taught sixth-grade math in the Moberly school district, where he also coached varsity football, track, and golf. Next year will mark his first in public school administration.

A native of eastern Iowa, he and his wife, Tasha, have a son and daughter.

“I’m very much looking forward to meeting everyone and am very grateful and excited for this new opportunity in our lives,” Hannam said.

Fayette also announced on Friday that Rachel Harding will be the new high school girls basketball coach next fall. She comes to Fayette from Slater, where she coached three years of girls’ basketball, taught P.E., and served as athletic director last year.

Harding will also teach middle school English and social studies.

Harding will replace Daryl Betts, who, after leading the Lady Falcons to their first district title in 19 years, announced he will rejoin the college basketball ranks as an assistant coach at Stephens College in Columbia next season.

A 2016 graduate of Reeds Spring High School in southwest Missouri, she later was graduated from College of the Ozarks. She became the athletic director at Slater a year ago and has coached the high school girls for three seasons, over which time the Lady Wildcats finished with 17 wins against 57 losses.

The high school boys will have a new head coach as well. Brandon Friebe, who previously coached the team from 2004 to 2008, will replace Jon Bishop, who is leaving the district. He will also teach high school health.

Other recent hires by the district include Eric Williams (high school language arts), Matt Douglas (high school business), Shawn Spence (middle school science), Kimberly Moore (elementary teacher and high school softball coach), Kassidy Monteer (high school math), Dorian Miles (middle school science), and William Sonnemaker (high school English and high school assistant football coach).