De Soto proudly announce the appointment of Mrs. Melissa Dunnegan as the new Principal at Vineland Elementary for the upcoming school year!

Mrs. Dunnegan will succeed Mr. Dustin Washam, who is leaving the district at the end of this school year after 4 years of service to the district. Mrs. Dunnegan is no stranger to De Soto—she has been a dedicated member of our district for 16 years. With 18 years of experience in education, including 5 years in administration, she brings a wealth of knowledge, leadership, and passion for student success. She began her career teaching for 2 years at Windsor before joining De Soto. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s in Administration (K-8) from Missouri Baptist University, as well as a Master of Education in Special Education with an Emphasis in Gifted Education from University of Missouri.

Mrs. Dunnegan is excited to step into this new leadership role at Vineland, embracing the exciting changes ahead while continuing to build on the positive momentum of recent years. She is eager to connect with new families and strengthen relationships within the Vineland community. Having been part of the De Soto community for nearly 20 years, Mrs. Dunnegan and her family are deeply rooted here. Her husband is from De Soto, and they are proud to raise their daughter in a district they both love and believe in.

De Soto proudly announce the hiring of Diana Casey as the new Director of the Early Childhood Center (ECC), effective July 2025. Diana will succeed Nancy Schmitz, who is retiring at the end of this school year after years of dedicated service to the district.

Diana brings twelve years of experience in education to her new role. A native of Ohio, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Hiram College before starting her teaching career in California. While working in San Diego and Lemoore, California, she completed her Master of Arts in Education with a focus on leadership and administration from Chapman College. Currently, Diana is pursuing administrative and special education director credentials at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

After her husband completed his service in the Marine Corps, Diana and her family moved to Festus, Missouri. She spent much of her career teaching middle grades, specializing in math, science, English language arts, and special education. For the past six years, Diana has been a valued member of the De Soto School District, where she found her teaching home.