Since the Covid -19 pandemic Liberty Memorial Central Middle School has faced consistent issues with staffing. This year is no different as LMCMS has had to work around the sudden resignation of its single eighth-grade science teacher.
Since the 2024-2025 school year, LMCMS has been a science, technology, engineering, arts and math-focused school with a separate curriculum and class structuring from the rest of the district. LMCMS uses curriculum from Project Lead the Way, a famous STEAM-oriented curriculum, to offer special classes like Robotics and automation.
Science teacher Joshua Spradlin has been with LMCMS for 16 years and said the staffing issues have been gradually getting better. He is currently teaching seventh-grade science and assisting an eighth-grade class being taught by a long-term substitute with the help of an aide.
“It does get to be a lot when you have twice as much grading to do, and so that was a challenge for a few weeks,” Spradlin said. “My administration here has been really thoughtful about trying to help solve the issues, and not having this [permanent teacher] isn’t really anyone’s fault.“
Shortly after the school year began, the new 8th-grade science teacher resigned. Since then, LMCMS 8th graders have had over five long-term or short-term substitutes. A LMCMS student, who would like to remain anonymous, said that though it’s been difficult without a consistent teacher, they’ve enjoyed the new content.
The staffing issues have not only affected teachers, but students as well. Freshman Manha Ossen said that when she took eighth-grade science with Mr. Spradlin, she noticed the staffing issues but felt Spradlin did a good job managing both the sixth and eighth-grade classes.
“Last year with the sixth-grade classes, he made sure we knew what we were doing, and he made sure we got our assignments done,” Ossen said. “He prioritized both of the classes, but he also made sure that the sixth graders were getting the education they needed.“
LMCMS has kept the same principal, Jessica Schmidt, since 2023, when she served briefly as interim principal before being hired. Schmidt said that the staffing issues at LMCMS have been a continuous issue, but the veteran staff members have handled it well.
“Knowing the staffing that we’re facing in education is why I try to be a highly supportive principal with our staff, and appreciating them and backing them up,” Schmidt said.
Spradlin said that despite the inconsistencies over the years with administration, LMCMS has begun to stabilize since it has now maintained the same principal and assistant principal for three years. Beyond that, Spradlin is currently working on getting his administrative master’s degree and hopes to one day be a principal or assistant principal.
“I love the building. I love the community, and I feel like it’s my community. Throughout these 17 years, I’ve grown to love and get to know the families,” Spradlin said. “I’m only a couple of years away from having the offspring of some of my first kids that came through [as students]… It’s just a special place.”
