Principals
Kerri Tharp - Principal
Mrs. Kerri Tharp has over 30 years of experience in education that spans across three states. She taught 1st and 5th grades in Illinois before moving to Iowa to teach 8th grade ELA and Social Studies. During her career in Iowa, Mrs. Tharp served as an elementary and middle school Instructional Coach as well as the district’s Social Studies Curriculum and Professional Development Leader. Mrs. Tharp also worked with a team of educators to write the current K-12 Social Studies standards for the Iowa Department of Education.
Mrs. Tharp joined the Francis Howell School District in 2018 as the Administrative Intern at Harvest Ridge Elementary and accepted the Assistant Principal position in 2020. She now serves as the head principal of Fairmount Elementary. Mrs. Tharp has experience with PBIS systems as well as FHSD board policies and safety procedures. She is passionate about creating a safe environment where all students feel valued and accepted. Mrs. Tharp is excited to support the Fairmount school family in a multitude of capacities this year.
While away from school, Mrs. Tharp cherishes her time with her family and also enjoys antique markets, gardening, and doing anything outdoors. She looks forward to spending the year getting to know the Fairmount students, staff, and families.
Dr. Marlo Scholle, Assistant Principal
Dr. Marlo Scholle has worked in Francis Howell for 18 years and is excited to bring her teaching background and leadership experience to Fairmount Elementary. She has taught both intermediate and primary grade levels during her time in the classroom at Central Elementary. Her leadership journey includes time as the admin intern at John Weldon and most recently five years as the building principal at Early Childhood Central School Road.
Dr. Scholle is an enthusiastic instructional leader who works to ensure every student is successful. Her leadership qualities are rooted in the foundation of collaboration, organization, and decision-making. As an administrator, her goal is to be an inclusive, instructional leader who makes decisions to positively impact all students.
Dr. Marlo Scholle is a Francis Howell Central alum, who received a bachelor’s in elementary education from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s degree in both arts in education and school administration from Lindenwood University. Dr. Scholle most recently finished her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Maryville University. When not at school, Marlo enjoys time with family traveling, cooking, and enjoying make the most of each day!
Dr. Jennifer Fakes - Assistant Principal
Dr. Fakes’ is very thrilled to start her administration journey at Fairmount Elementary! She has been in education for 17 years. She has worked on both primary and intermediate grade level teams throughout her teaching career in the Lincoln County School District and for Confluence Academy. During her education experiences she has served as grade level department chair, been a part of many committees, facilitated district PD’s, and joined the LEAP program here in the Francis School District. Most recently, Dr. Fakes has had the great pleasure of being a 1st grade teacher at Fairmount!
Dr. Fakes’ is excited to work as a collaborative member of the Fairmount administration team and work cooperatively with staff, parents and students of Fairmount! She is dedicated to building strong relationships and helping to create a safe and trusting environment for all.
On her free time she enjoys vacationing with her family and relaxing by the pool with her favorite book! She is overjoyed to be growing professionally with such a wonderful district, school and community and looks forward to supporting Fairmount Elementary this year!
Kory Bohnenstiehl - Assistant Principal
Kory Bohnenstiehl comes to the Falcon family with 20 years of experience in education. He taught Social Studies and English Language Arts at Collinsville Middle School for 9 years. In addition to his teaching duties, he coached middle school basketball and baseball while also being a member of other school organizations such as the school’s National Junior Honor Society Teacher Council and School Safety and Care Teams.
Mr. Bohnenstiehl moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 2014. While there, he worked for Tooele County School District. He taught 6th grade for 3 years at Sterling Harris Elementary and for the 2017-2018 school year served two schools, Middle Canyon Elementary and Overlake Elementary, as an administrative intern.
In 2018, Mr. Bohnenstiehl returned to the St. Louis area and was hired at Crossroads Elementary in the Wentzville School District. He taught 5th grade for 6 years and served on numerous committees that focused on inclusion, belonging, Math and ELA curriculum development, and school-wide safety.
Mr. Bohnenstiehl obtained both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SIUE. He lives in Lake Saint Louis, MO with his wife and two children. He is an avid Pittsburgh Penguins fan and also serves as a volunteer baseball and hockey coach.