Tom Stahlman’s career in education came to end this week, after 40 years as a teacher and principal.
The end of the school year marks his fifth year as principal at Immaculate Conception Grade School. Prior to that he had taught at the school for three years.
Stahlman taught social studies at Union Middle School before he retired from the R-XI District after 28 years. He also has served as the assistant principal at St. Francis Borgia Grade School.
“I’ve always really liked it, really I will just miss it all,” he said. “I’ll miss dealing with the kids, teachers and even the parents.”
Stahlman added that he and his wife will travel this year, and have planned trips to Virginia and New England.
“Its a bittersweet deal,” he said. “I have been in education for 40 years and its almost over.”
Stahlman was the first lay — not a nun or member of the clergy — male principal.
Current Union High School Principal Dennis Lottmann will replace Stahlman at the helm of Immaculate Conception Grade School.
Lottmann was selected by a search committee of eight members that included parish members, faculty and others,
He is a graduate of St. Francis Borgia Regional High School. He and his wife Lynn have two daughters who both attended IC school.
He was hired in 2002 as an associate principal at UHS after 18 years working for the St. Clair R-XIII School District.
In 2004, Lottmann became the UHS principal.
While working in St. Clair, Lottmann served as a physical education and science teacher at the junior high and high schools.
He also was the R-13 district’s athletic director, an assistant principal and he worked as head football coach from 1987-97.
A native of Krakow, Lottmann is a 1977 graduate of St. Francis Borgia High School. He received his associate’s degree from East Central College in 1979 and earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Southwest Missouri State University in 1983.
He later earned his master’s degree from Southwest Baptist University, Bolivar, in 2000.
Immaculate Conception Grade School was founded in 1902.
The school offers a number of other extracurricular activities including music festivals, guitar lessons, Christmas and spring programs, computer programs, fitness programs, a pro-life trip, speech competitions, Student Council, science fair and math, spelling and geography competitions, among other activities.
