School District
Dr. Barry Nelson
2022-Present
Dr. Barry Nelson became superintendent in the 2022-2023 school year. Previously, Nelson served as Pattonville’s assistant superintendent for human resources since 2009. He previously worked as principal of Rose Acres Elementary School in Pattonville for eight years. Nelson also served as an interim administrative intern at Rose Acres and as a physical education teacher at Carrollton Oaks Elementary School (in Pattonville). He was also a teacher at Twillman Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District. Nelson holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, as well as master’s, specialist’s and doctorate degrees in education administration from Lindenwood University. He and his wife, Kristi, are the parents of a 2019 Pattonville graduate and a current Pattonville High School student.
Superintendents of the Pattonville School District
C.C. Birch - 1930 to 1938
M.A. Holman - 1938 to 1964
Don Matthews - 1964-1966
Bob Foutes - 1966-1971
James Harmon - 1973-1978
James Rudolph - 1978-1980
James Eastman - 1980 (Interim)
Donn W. Gresso - 1980-1985
Dr. Roger A. Clough - 1985-1997
Dr. Hugh Kinney - 1997-2006
Dr. Donette Green - 2006-2007 (Interim)
Dr. Michael Fulton - 2007-2018
Dr. Tim Pecoraro - 2018-2022
Dr. Barry Nelson - 2022 to present
Dr. Tim Pecoraro
2018-2022
A 1989 Pattonville graduate, Dr. Tim Pecoraro became superintendent of Pattonville in the 2018-2019 school year. He previously served as Pattonville’s assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction from 2007 to 2018. Dr. Pecoraro joined Pattonville in 2001 when he was named principal of Briar Crest Elementary School. He has been active at the state level, having co-chaired the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) 6 Academic Achievement Development Team. He served on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Technical Advisory Committee. Dr. Pecoraro holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a master’s degree in education administration from Lindenwood University. He completed his doctorate degree in 2007 from Saint Louis University. Dr. Pecoraro’s wife, Kim, is a 1990 Pattonville graduate. They have two children, Shelby and Matthew. Dr. Pecoraro retired at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.
Dr. Mike Fulton
2007-2018
Dr. Mike Fulton became superintendent of Pattonville on July 1, 2007. He joined Pattonville in 1995, first working as the director of assessment and later taking on the roles of assistant superintendent for planning and assessment and assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Dr. Fulton chaired or co-chaired several statewide committees related to student learning, assessment and accountability, including the Missouri Association of School Administrators’ (MASA) Show Me Accreditation and Assessment Task Force; the Missouri Public Education Vision Project - Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee, a joint effort by the Missouri School Boards Association (MSBA) and MASA; and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Task Force for Proficiency Based Learning. Dr. Fulton was a member of the American Association for School Administrator (AASA) Governing Board and past president of the Kansas-Missouri Superintendents Leadership Forum. He was named Missouri’s Superintendent of the Year in 2016. Dr. Fulton and his wife, Katy, have four children, all Pattonville graduates.
Dr. Donette Green
2006-2007 (Interim)
Dr. Donette Green was named interim superintendent during the 2006-2007 school year, leading the district while Dr. Hugh Kinney was on medical leave. She served as assistant superintendent for special services from 2005 until her retirement in 2014. Dr. Green was executive director for special services in the 2004-2005 school year. Prior to 2004, Green has served as an area coordinator for the Special School District for two years, working in Pattonville. She also worked as a special education teacher for 11 years. Dr. Green holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Saint Louis University. She completed her doctorate at Saint Louis University in 2008. Her responsibilities as assistant superintendent included special education, discipline, residency, homeless program, nurses, counselors, early childhood education, alternative programming and other district programs. She is the mother of two children, Brian (a Pattonville graduate) and Diana.
Dr. High Kinney
1997-2006
Dr. Hugh Kinney joined Pattonville in the 1997-1998 school year. He previously served as superintendent in the Affton School District, the west area superintendent for the Parkway School District and associate/assistant superintendent for the Francis Howell School District. He was named Missouri Superintendent of the Year in 2005 by the Missouri Association of School Administrators and nominated for the national award. In 2004, the Missouri School Public Relations Association named him Administrator of the Year. Dr. Kinney earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northeast Missouri State University and his specialist and doctorate degrees from Southern Illinois University. He was a member of the Missouri Association of School Administrators, the American Association of School Administrators, the International Superintendent’s Institute; past chairperson of the Cooperating School Districts; and he served as director of the Metropolitan Vocational-Technical Cooperative from 2002 to 2005. He was active in the community serving in leadership positions on the Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation; the Black Leadership Roundtable Superintendent’s Advisory Committee; the Characterplus St. Louis Area Character Education Program; the Northwest Communities Chamber of Commerce, Cooperating School Districts and the St. Louis Region School Night for Scouting. He also served on Missouri’s Blue Ribbon Task Force for Teacher Retention and Recruitment, the Missouri Special Education Advisory Panel and as chairperson of the Federal Relations Network of the Missouri Association of School Administrators. Dr. Kinney and his wife, Jane, are the parents of three children, Josh, Adam and Jill.
Dr. Roger Clough
1985-1997
Dr. Roger Clough began his career in education in 1956 and was first hired as a superintendent in 1959 in Yutan, Nebraska, where he also had to teach a full load in a district of 350 students. He also held other superintendent positions in Nebraska and Iowa, including the 25,000-student Lincoln public schools. During his time in Pattonville, he served as chairman or president of the Cooperating School District, the Regional Consortium for Educational Technology, the Personal Responsibility Educational Process (PREP) Superintendents, the Voluntary Interdistrict Coordinating Council (VICC) and Metro St. Louis 2000. During the 1996-1997 school year, Dr. Clough served as president of the Missouri Association of School Administrators (MASA). In 1992, he was selected by his colleagues to represent St. Louis County in the State Superintendent of the Year Program. Dr. Clough also served as president of the Northwest Communities Chamber of Commerce and was selected as their "Business Man of the Year, the first St. Louis county educator to be so designated. He also served on the board of directors of the Maryland Heights Chamber of Commerce. In addition, in 1993 County Executive George "Buzz" Westfall appointed Dr. Clough to a four-year term on the Lambert International Airport Commission. Dr. Clough died on Oct. 16, 2013. At the time of his death, Clough lived in Omaha, Nebraska, and was co-chair of RCM Enterprises. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, three sons and seven grandchildren.
Donn Gresso
1980-1985
Donn W. Gresso served as superintendent from 1980 to 1985. Among his roles, he was appointed to the State Advisory Council on Education by Missouri Commissioner of Education Arthur Mallory. He also participated in the 1984-1985 session of Leadership St. Louis. He asked for a release from his Pattonville contract in 1985 to become vice president of the Danforth Foundation, where he worked until 1990. He also taught at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee.
James Eastman
1980 (Interim)
James Eastman was named Pattonville's assistant superintendent of funds and facilities in 1966. He was recognized as a registered school business administrator at a board meeting in 1978. In 1980, he was named interim superintendent until a new superintendent was appointed (Donn Gresso). He retired from Pattonville in 1983.
Dr. James Rudolph
1978-1980
Dr. James Rudolph joined Pattonville in 1978. He and his wife, Dotty, had two children, Tom and Janice, and they moved into the Willow Brook subdivision after he took on this new role. Dr. Rudolph graduated from Wheaton College with undergraduate degrees in English and business administration. He earned his doctorate in educational administration from Northwester University.
James Harmon
1973-1978
James Harmon, who preferred to be called Jim, came to Pattonville from the Park Hill R-5 School District in suburban Kansas City, where he was superintendent. Mr. Harmon served in almost every capacity available in education, including teacher, elementary, junior high and high school principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He was on staff at the University of Kansas-Lawrence, the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Central Missouri State University. He also served as the assistant dean in charge of the undergraduate teachers' program and the University of North Dakota. Mr. Harmon and his wife, Lois, are the parents of six daughters.
Dr Bob J. Foutes
1966-1967 and 1971-1972
Dr. Bob J. Foutes served as superintendent in Pattonville from 1966 to 1967 and from 1971 to 72. He previously served as assistant superintendent from 1960 to 1966. Dr. Foutes passed passed away on Feb. 8, 2015. He was a resident of Kansas City at the time of his death.
Don B. Matthews
1964-1966
Working in Pattonville gave Don Matthews the opportunity to return to Missouri after working seven years in Illinois. Mr. Matthews joined Pattonville as assistant superintendent of instruction in 1963. He became superintendent in February 1964, serving in that role until he transitioned to in 1966 to the role of director of research and information.
M.A. Holman
1938-1964
M.A. (Monroe) Holman's career began in Downing, Missouri, where he was principal for one year. From there, at the age of 22, he became superintendent at Williamstown, Missouri, for three years, followed by superintendencies at the Browning and Meadville school districts. He came to Pattonville as superintendent in 1938. There were 31 high school graduates his first year in Pattonville. M.A. Holman earned his bachelor's degree from Kirksville State Teachers college in 1923 and his master's degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1939. Holman Junior High School was dedicated in honor of Holman and his first wife, Mary Alice Holman, on Aug. 28, 1960. Mary Alice Holman taught seventh grade mathematics at the school prior to her death in June 1959. He gave notice of his retirement in March 1963, giving the school board transition time before his retirement in June 1964. At the board's request, he continued with the school district during the 1964-1965 school year as a senior consultant to the board of education. Mr. Holman died in 1986.
C.C. Birch
1930-1938
While also serving as superintendent, C.C. Birch taught several classes at Pattonville High School when it opened, including English and biology. During the spring of 1938, Mr. Birch and Mr. Powell, the grade school principal, had some disagreements over education policies, and the school board was asked to settle the matter. During a special meeting on April 21, 1938, the board found their differences irreconcilable and voted to dismiss both. Despite protests by students and a petition from parents, the board upheld the dismissals.