Geary County USD 475 Board of Education recently approved the hiring of Bryan Scruggs, Marlies Gipson and Kenny Upham to principal positions within the district on Tuesday morning.
Scruggs will take over as principal at the Early Childhood Center during the 2024-25 school year. He brings a wealth experience to his new role as he is currently an instructional coach and academic specialist at Seitz Elementary. He also taught kindergarten at Ware Elementary from 2005 through 2021.
Gipson will replace Junction City Middle School principal Heather Oentrich, who was recently named Executive Director of Student Support Services for USD 475. Gipson is currently an assistant principal for the Wildcats and has worked at Junction City Middle School, Washington Elementary and Seitz Elementary.
In addition, the board of education also approved on Tuesday that Upham, who is currently the Fort Riley Elementary principal, be named principal of the Business, Public Service and Hospitality (BPSH) Academy at Junction City High School. Upham will take over as an academy principal after being principal at both Fort Riley Elementary and Morris Hill Elementary during his tenure in USD 475.
Finally, the board of education also approved the hiring of Brianna Little as head girls’ basketball coach at Junction City High School, while Chris Bogenhagen was named the high school’s athletics director after serving as the Blue Jays interim ad during the 2023-24 school year.
Little takes over as head coach after being a part of the JCHS girls’ basketball coaching staff last season as an assistant coach.
