Amber Bullard named principal of high school
Oklahoma Teacher of the Year candidate Shauna Usry was recognized during a meeting last week of the Durant Board of Education and Amber Bullard was named principal of the high school.
“We are proud to recognize Shaunda Usry as a top-10 candidate for the Oklahoma State Teacher,” said Superintendent Mark Moring.
Usry is a pre-kindergarten teacher at Robert E. Lee Early Childhood Center and is in her 10th year as a teacher in the Durant School District. She previously served as a teacher’s assistant.
“Mrs. Usry is known in our community for not only being a fantastic teacher, but also for making connections with students that extend beyond the walls of the classroom,” Moring said. “She can often be found on the sidelines of different sporting activities, cheering on present and former students, making phone calls to them when they move on to elementary school and celebrating all their wins throughout their school year. Not only is she an exemplary teacher, but she is a great person with the biggest heart. We are so blessed to have her as a Durant Lion teacher and wish her the very best on this journey to represent all teachers in Oklahoma.”
Bullard replaces Cheryl Conditt, who retired as Durant High School principal.
Moring said Conditt has been phenomenal.
“She’s just a wonderful, wonderful woman, but likewise, I am absolutely excited about the transition and the job that I think Mrs. Bullard is going to do,” Moring said.
According to Moring, Bullard wants to work toward making students employable and not just graduates.
“I’m excited for Ms. Conditt’s retirement that she can retire with some health and get to do certain things but I’m going to miss her dearly,” Moring said. “She’s a phenomenal principal. Likewise though, I don’t think that we’re going to take a big drop off at all because Mrs. Bullard’s going to roll right in and I think even expand on what Ms. Conditt’s done. So, I’m excited about that.”
Members of the Durant Lady Lions basketball team were present for the meeting and they were recognized for qualifying for a state tournament after the passing of their coach Will Robinson and his daughter Clara in a Christmas Eve car accident.
“There are some things that are bigger than any championship,” Moring said. “What we want to teach our students is bigger than any championship and I believe that these young ladies absolutely displayed it and our town was absolutely behind everything that they did.
“They absolutely displayed everything that you want in a student athlete and it’s more than that gold ring. What we want to instill in our kids is more than a trophy and what you girls did this school year during basketball season was absolutely amazing and we want our kids to learn how to deal with adversities because everybody that you see that’s successful in this life has just not given up and has faced adversity straight on. That’s what’s the most important part about being a student athlete.
“The most important part that you can ever take from athletics is how to face adversity, how to deal with adversity, how to stick your chin out in the face of it and battle through and you guys represented our school. You represented the Robinson family, our community and everybody else with so much honor and grace and dignity. It was absolutely amazing and I can’t wait to see what next year’s going to bring. So, we just want to put you guys in front of the school board and tell you how much that we appreciate each and every one of you. The effort that you did and it’s just an absolute testimony to your work ethic, your heart, our community, your parents and everybody else. We appreciate everything that you guys did and very valuable lessons were learned this basketball season.”
Moring recognized Durant Lions Speech and Debate team members Mason Meeks, Daven Daniel and Riley Wesley, who qualified for the OSSAA State Speech & Debate tournament.
Wrestlers Adam Haney, who qualified for state, and Aiden Polk, who ended up third at a state tournament, were congratulated.
“What’s great about wrestling is that it’s a tough sport and it’s only you on the mat,” Moring said. “You only have you to depend on. So, I have a respect for wrestlers that goes above and beyond a lot of different sports because it is all you, it is hard.
“It is one of the hardest sports that you have to do and you have to be dedicated, you have to be disciplined and just to qualify for the state wrestling tournament is an absolute feat in and of itself. Coach Taylor, thank you very much for your efforts with these guys and coach (Chaz) Polk, thank you very much.”
Alicia Farley and Lisa Sager were hired as instructional coaches for the 2025-2026 school year and they will assist teachers.
“The way I see it is, principals can go in there and evaluate,“Moring said. “They’re in the classroom, but they get pulled in so many different directions that they can’t really work hand-in-hand with the teachers to help support them.”
According to Moring, the instructional coaches will be available to talk to teachers about what they are facing in the classroom.
“Instructional coaches work with the teachers, but more importantly, I want the teachers to have a trusted resource with the instructional coaches, have conversations with them, and that doesn’t really necessarily have to get back up to principals yet because sometimes, teachers don’t want to share all of their struggles because they see the principal as the evaluator or the boss, Moring said. “I want them to have that trusted source there.”
The board accepted the following resignations: Abbigail Mitchell, English teacher at DHS; Rusel Smith, English teacher at DHS; Natalie Weaver, speech/debate/drama teacher at DHS; Peggy Savage, English learner counselor at DHS; Taylor Williams, special education/math teacher at DMS; Kendra Yandell, Kathy Kelley and Hailie McGinnis, special education teacher assistants at WI; Karen Green, nurse assistant at REL (retirement), and David Anderson, teacher assistant at WI.
Board members approved employment of the following Mary Pat Davis, director of Indian Education Summer Enrichment Program; Shaunda Usry, activities director for the POSSE Choctaw Nation summer school session; Jesse Bateman, transportation director; Hannah Harrison, English instructor at DHS; Constance Deanna Bourne, fourth-grade teacher at NWH; Cynthia Vaughn, first-grade teacher at NWH; Maci Bookout, fourthgrade teacher at WI; Eva Burgess, special education teacher at REL; Emma (Shelton) Jacob, pre-kindergarten teacher at REL; Jamie Jones, transportation employee/bus monitor; Timothy Henson, transportation employee/mechanic/bus driver; Zoey Shelton, nurse assistant at WI, and Marsha Boyd, nurse assistant at REL.
