Ozark School District promotes 2 directors

Provided by Ozark School District

Laura Eakins takes on the newly created role of director of interventions.

Provided by Ozark School District

Elizabeth Dawson is promoted to director of the Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center.

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The Ozark School District promoted two directors starting with the 2021-22 academic year.

Laura Eakins took on the newly created position of director of interventions, and Elizabeth Dawson was promoted to Eakins’ previous role leading the district's Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center, according to separate news releases and a spokesperson.

Eakins, who was the early childhood leader since 2016, is moving into a role in which she'll serve as coordinator of response to intervention and oversee the district's dyslexia program and more than 500 services districtwide. Eakins, who has 22 years of education experience, joined the Ozark district in 2015, first as assistant director of Tiger Paw.

"She will be a driving force in our district initiative to enhance our intervention programming and a valuable resource for educator training and implementation," said Kim Fitzpatrick, executive director of student services, in a news release.

Dawson served as assistant director of Tiger Paw since 2019 before the recent promotion to its top leader. Before joining the district in 2015, she served as special education coordinator for the Sparta School District.

“I am honored and excited to serve Ozark's youngest learners in this new role,” Dawson said in a news release. “I look forward to building upon Tiger Paw's history of excellence as it transitions into a period of substantial growth and expansion.”

Ozark School District officials broke ground in May on an expanded Tiger Paw Early Childhood Center. The project is part of a $26.5 million bond issue approved by voters last year.