Ozark Names Sappington As Interim High School Principal, Also Names New High School Assistant Principal

Ozark High School will have some new faces in the front office next year as the administration team takes shape for 2026-27. As part of a district reorganization, Dr. Kent Sappington will serve as interim High School Principal, and Fernando Sustaita will join as an assistant principal, hires approved at the May 21 school board meeting.

Sappington currently serves as Executive Director of Elementary Education for Ozark School District, a position he has held since 2019. Before that, he was principal at East Elementary from 2007 to 2019. He holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Evangel University.

"Kent's relationship-focused leadership style, along with his strengths in systems and processes, will provide valuable support to our secondary buildings and programs," Ozark Superintendent Dr. Lori Wilson said.

Alongside his principal duties, Sappington will also serve as Executive Director of Secondary Learning. A full search for a high school principal will begin at a later date.

"I believe this approach provides an important level of stability and continuity for students, staff, and families during the upcoming year," Wilson said. "The Ozark High School principal position will be formally posted in December or January in order to widen the search process and allow us adequate time to identify the best long-term candidate for the position."

Sustaita comes to Ozark from Nixa High School, where he taught history for over a decade and coached various teams. Before teaching, he had a career in corporate America and served in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a master's in education and a bachelor's in business administration from Drury University, and holds a specialist degree in superintendency and administration from Missouri State University.

"I believe schools change lives through relationships, belief, and opportunity,” Sustaita said. “I’m excited to join Ozark Schools and work alongside students, staff, and families to help create an environment where every student feels challenged, supported, and valued while discovering what they are capable of becoming.”

Sappington said he is excited to see how Sustaita’s wealth of knowledge and experiences will help the high school. 

“I welcome Mr. Sustaita as our newest assistant principal at the high school," Sappington said. "Mr. Sustaita comes to us as a past member of the United States Marine Corps, with unique experiences in the corporate world and time in the classroom at an excellent neighboring district. He has worked with students both as a teacher and a coach across multiple sports. He is a ball of energy, and I look forward to all he will bring to Ozark High School."

Rounding out the new faces is Trent Floyd, currently the Academy Explorations teacher, who will step into the role of Dean of Students. The position oversees policy enforcement around things like cellphones and lanyards, handles smaller discipline matters, and helps facilitate the shuttle buses.

“Mr. Floyd has been with the Ozark School District since 2016," Sappington said. "He has held various classroom roles and taken on numerous coaching responsibilities. He has worked hard to help grow our Academies Exploration Model, and I look forward to seeing him continue that growth in an administrative role as Dean of Students. Most importantly, he is a quality role model for our students.”

Sappington, Sustaita and Floyd will all begin their new roles on July 1. Also effective that date: Dr. Anna Thurman, currently Executive Director of Student Services, will move into Sappington's current role as Executive Director of Elementary Education, and Gerald Chambers, currently Executive Director of Secondary Learning, will move into Thurman's role as Executive Director of Student Services.