Pattonville announced administrative changes for 2026-2027 school year

The Pattonville Board of Education, on April 23, approved two administrative changes for next school year. Willow Brook Elementary School principal Dr. Ashley Deckelman was named the director of early childhood. Willow Brook’s administrative intern, Dr. Margo Souza, will become the school’s interim principal. Both begin their new roles on July 1.

Deckelman has been at Willow Brook for two years. Prior to that, she was the assistant principal of Oak Brook Elementary School in the Parkway School District. Also at Parkway, she served as a first grade teacher at Oak Brook, an administrative intern at Barretts Elementary School and a technology integration specialist across four schools. Prior to that, Dr. Deckelman was a fifth grade teacher in the Rockwood School District and third grade teacher at Sullivan School District. Dr. Deckelman has a doctorate in education leadership from Maryville University, a master’s degree in administration from William Woods University and a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University. Dr. Deckelman is taking a position being vacated by Dr. Greg Cicotte, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

Souza has been the administrative intern at the school for two years. She was previously a fourth grade teacher at Lonedell Elementary School in the Lonedell R-XIV School District, where she also served as a summer school principal in 2022. She began her career in education in South Carolina as a third and fifth grade teacher at Kingsbury Elementary School. Dr. Souza earned her master’s degree and doctorate in educational leadership from Maryville University and has a master’s degree in teaching and learning-leadership from Liberty University in Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in early childhood and elementary education from Maryville.