New Staff

Mike Baysinger

Coach Baysinger, a football coach located in the fieldhouse, brings 19 years of teaching experience to the table. He is an alumnus of Carthage High School and pursued further education at SFA, majoring in Kinesiology. In his free time, he is dedicated to his work and has a strong passion for guiding athletes on a successful path, a passion he has demonstrated in his previous district, Hooks ISD. He came to LEHS in search of a good opportunity and has expressed his satisfaction with everything so far, including the helpful contributions of C-Wayne(Cody Vaughn). 

Jessica Briggs

        After receiving a teaching opportunity in her 30s, Mrs. Jessica Briggs discovered her passion for education and has been dedicated to it for 17 years. Although new to our district this school year, she is a familiar face to those who have been here for a few years. She previously served as a math instructor on the east campus in 2010 and on the west campus in 2011 before teaching at Dekalb ISD. Now, she has taken on the role of an Algebra I teacher at the west campus. 

Having moved states nine times in her youth, Mrs. Briggs attended Redwater High School and pursued a major in mathematics at Texas A&M. 

Outside of school, she manages a trophy business with her husband and enjoys spending time with their adult children and participating in cow shows. Mrs. Briggs appreciates how welcoming everyone at LEHS has been, especially on the west campus. Welcome to the district again, Mrs. Briggs!

Kerrighan Dunn

Kerrighan Dunn is a basketball and volleyball coach who also teaches Professional Communication on our campus. She began her teaching career in the CTE building/room 311, opposite of Mr. Makaramba. 

After completing her education at Texas High, she was inspired to pursue teaching to achieve her personal and professional goals. Coach Dunn holds an associate's degree in Kinesiology and a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies. 

In her free time, she enjoys reading, designing clothes, and listening to music. Ms. Dunn's motivation for joining Liberty-Eylau was to help establish a successful sports program while enjoying the journey. She is passionate about creating a safe and welcoming environment for her students. 

Throughout her journey, Coach Dunn has received valuable support from colleagues such as Coach Murphy, Alex Harris, Aquanetta Watson, and Ms. Webb.

Coach Dunn hopes to have a great, memorable year with her students and as a coach. 

Welcome, Coach Dunn to our LEgacy!

Jarrick Farmer

Jarrick Farmer is an experienced educator, teaching physical education and serving as a special teams coordinator, located in the Rader Dome. He's been in the educational field for the past 15 years. His educational journey began at Pittsburg High School and continued at Southeastern Oklahoma State, where he focused on HYPER (Human Performance). His passion for teaching emerged from his desire to coach and he is dedicated to nurturing young minds and fostering athletic talent. 

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his kids, working out, and playing on his PS5. Having previously taught at Linden Kildare, Jarrick is familiar with the challenges of differentiation in education. However, he finds great support among the staff, including the school board, Superintendent, and administration. 

Farmer is grateful for the assistance he has received from colleagues such as Coaches Willard, Hall, and Baysinger. Ricky Rushing, William Thompson, Mrs. Byrd, and Mrs. Oubre have all been a great help to him as well. 

Justin Garcia

Justin Garcia is a new staff member this year, teaching HS Social Studies in room 12, Cornerbacks, Boys Basketball, and Track and Field. He has three years of teaching experience and is an alumnus of Garrison High School and Stephen F. Austin State University, where he majored in Business Administration (Sports Business). 

Mr. Garcia discovered his passion for teaching when the opportunity presented itself. In his free time, he enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family. He previously taught at San Augustine ISD but finds our school, LEHS, to be more family-oriented. Coach Ward has been a great help to him this year. One interesting thought Mr. Garcia would like to share with us is, "KALE".

Davion Hall

Davion Hall is an offensive coordinator and WR coach; he also contributes to the girls' department as their coordinator. He is starting his 6th year in education and comes to us after teaching/coaching at Tyler Legacy High School, which is a much larger school than ours. 

Hall graduated from LE in 2014  and majored in Health, Kinesiology, & Leisure Studies at Baylor University. He was drawn back to our area by the amazing students and the feeling of being back home. He has found incredible support from the secretaries and his former teachers.  

He enjoys spending time with his family, two French bulldogs named Beau & Millie, cooking, and going to church. Additionally, he has a brother, Kavion Hall, who is a senior at LE.

Amanda Howe

Amanda Howe attended Liberty Eylau from kindergarten all the way up to the first semester of 12th grade. After that, she graduated from Premier High School. Mrs. Howe began her college journey at Texarkana College and then moved on to Texas A&M, where she graduated with a major in Biology. In 2022, she started her teaching career at Texas Middle. Now, she's back at LE, teaching Environmental Science. You can find her classroom on east campus in room 206, next to Mrs. Tamara Richert. She adores the unique personalities of all her students. When she first returned to Liberty Eylau, Mrs. Christa Kimble helped her navigate the changes, and Mrs. Howe is truly grateful for that. Outside of teaching, Amanda enjoys spending time with her 3 cats, playing video games, and drawing. One of the wildest things she's ever done was climbing a mountain, where she fell multiple times. Welcome back to the Liberty-Eylau family!

Corena Lavender

After a beautiful childhood of lining her dogs up and teaching them, Mrs. Corena Lavender decided teaching was her passion: this calling would be the start of her thirty-nine years of teaching. This year, after a long history with our district, she is back from Kilpatrick Elementary School and doing content mastery in room 105.

Mrs. Lavendar, an alumnus of Arkansas High, attended college at Baylor University where she majored in Elementary Education. Following that, she wound up buying a home in Liberty Eylau and began her teaching career with us in 2000. She taught several subjects of third and fourth grade before taking her talent elsewhere. This heartfelt teacher received an opportunity to work with autistic students and was able to acquire new skills through TISD before retiring from Arkansas. When asked why she came back to Liberty Eylau after retirement, she expressed her happiness of being able to see her former students grow up, being with her husband, and that Liberty Eylau was home; she feels that this is like "being a part of a community". Since her return, Corena has felt comfortable in our positive,  success-encouraging environment and has received significant help from Mrs. Sherry Petten and Mr. Thomas Dezarn.

 We know her as a genuine teacher on campus, but as we sat with Mrs. Lavendar, I learned she is also a loving grandmother who partakes in raising her grandchildren. She's involved with beekeeping, cooking, and has done a smidgen of surfing. 

One thing she wanted the readers to know was to "be true to the person you were created to be." Mrs. Corena does not believe you have to be like your neighbor, just be yourself. Mrs. Lavander's work and insights will never fail to be a successful contribution to this district. 

Welcome back! 

Christian Miller

Chris Miller is a new band assistant at LE, and his decision to work at the school was driven by his desire to contribute positively and travel with the band. After attending Texas High, he pursued his college education at Southern Arkansas University, majoring in music. 

Mr. Miller enjoys spending his free time fishing and playing music. When asked about his favorite aspect of LEHS, he expressed his appreciation for the community. In terms of adventures, his craziest experience involved scuba diving.

Don Nesbitt

Don Nesbitt is a new addition to our staff this year, having previously taught at Mena High School in Arkansas. He brings with him 9 years of teaching experience and specializes in Spanish 1 & 2. You can find him in the art building, room 23. 

Don pursued his education at the University of Arkansas, where he earned his BA, and is currently working on his Ed Leadership degree at Southern Arkansas. His passion for teaching was ignited during his time as a substitute teacher. Outside of work, Don enjoys golfing, fishing, and watching baseball with his wife. He's grateful for the support he's received from Coach Rushing, who has been a great help during his transition to LEHS.

Kyana Norman

Ms. Kyana Norman, a 2018 LE graduate, is returning to our district as a senior English teacher and varsity cheer coach. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University/Prairie View. 

Ms. Norman last taught at Claughton Middle School in Spring ISD/Houston, Texas and is very excited to experience this full-circle moment of teaching and coaching since her little sister and cousin attend LE. 

In her free time, she enjoys being with family and friends and working out. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to teach as well as coach cheerleading. The craziest thing she's ever done is zipline through the jungle in Belize, despite being terrified of heights.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul, a proud graduate of Liberty Eylau High School and Southern Arkansas University with a major in Sports Management, will be coaching football and track this year. This will be his 3rd year teaching and coaching. He can be found in the fieldhouse or at the elementary for a few hours each day. As a former athlete, coaching came naturally to him, and he is driven by his passion for helping people. In his free time, Chris loves spending time with his wife, playing with their dogs, and tinkering on his computer. He chose to come to LE because it's home to him. What he loves most about LEHS so far is the strong sense of community and camaraderie among the staff and students. The entire staff has been incredibly supportive as he adjusts to this new environment. Make sure to come out and support your leopards this fall - they're going to have some exciting football games! Go leopards and KALE!

Sarah Paul

Meet Sarah Paul, our new freshmen cheer coach and English teacher in room 205. With 6 years of teaching experience, she is an alumna of Channel Islands High School in California and holds a Master's of Science and Master's of Business Administration from Texas A&M University in Texarkana. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctorate in Education Leadership. Sarah's decision to pursue teaching stemmed from her desire to make a meaningful impact in her career. She is passionate about reading and traveling with her family. Having found fulfillment in teaching high school students, she is grateful for the support of Mrs. Richert in English and Mrs. Webb in cheer. Let's extend a warm welcome to Mrs. Paul!

John Stilson

Meet John Stilson, a dedicated coach at LE who handles P.E., Baseball, and Football. With 3 years of teaching experience, he honed his skills at Texas High School and furthered his education at Texas A&M University, majoring in Science. His passion for teaching blossomed while giving baseball lessons to kids, and now coaching has become his daily joy. During his free time, he unwinds through golfing, hunting, and fishing. The opportunity to help build a program drew him to LEHS, and he is thoroughly enjoying working with the staff and kids. Previously, he taught at Hooks ISD and has been grateful for the awesome support and assistance from everyone.

A'Drion C. Ve'An

A'Drion Ve'An teaches Trumpet and French Horn at the middle school and high school. He is located in the Bandhall. A'Drion is in his second year of teaching in a public school setting, but he has been giving private lessons for some time. He graduated from Liberty-Eylau High School and has always known that he wanted to teach since high school. A'Drion started at Southern Arkansas University and graduated from Henderson State University, majoring in Music with a Minor in History. In his free time, he produces music and plays at Jazz nightclubs. He also enjoys gaming, particularly Red Dead 2, Apex Legends, 2K, and Madden. A'Drion came to LEHS to give back to the school that allowed him to discover his love for music. He enjoys the atmosphere and the joy the students bring to class every day, as there is never a dull moment in the band hall, nothing but laughs and high energy. A'Drion mentions that the teacher who has helped him the most would have to be T'Randle Taylor, whose advice this year has been top-notch. He also encourages everyone to come out and support fellow students involved in Extracurricular activities, as the level of talent in these departments is unparalleled. Whether it be Sports, Band, Theatre, Choir, etc., these students spend countless hours perfecting their craft to give their all and all they ask for is cheers and a job well done.

Cooper Ward

Coach Ward is a teacher and coach for football, softball, world history, and geography at the west campus in room 8. He has been teaching for 2 years and attended Grapeland High School before pursuing further education at Oklahoma State University, where he majored in Strategic Communications with a Focus on Social Media. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, watching football, playing games, and spending time with his family. His decision to join LEHS was influenced by his family in the area and the timing of a job opening. Coach Ward appreciates the community-like atmosphere at LEHS and has been supported by Kara Lindy and Zach Fowler the most this year.

Brad Willard

‘Coach” Brad Willard took over as Athletic Director in the spring of 2024 and from what we can see, he hasn’t slowed down yet.

A little bit of background on our athletic leader whose office is in the field house:

·         Attended Cedar Park High School

·         Attended Baylor University/majored in general studies

·         The last school to coach/teach at is Tyler Legacy High School

·         Been in education for the past 8 years

“I knew I wanted to teach since the day I was born”, Willard says, “so coming to Liberty-Eylau just made sense when the opportunity presented itself.”

  Willard says the superintendent, Jeff Wright, has been the most helpful person so far but all the staff has been very supportive. In his spare time, he plays golf (he will also be the golf coach this year!), enjoys watching football, and spends time with his beautiful family. Willard’s wife teaches on the elementary campus in the PACE program. The craziest thing Coach Willard has attempted is skydiving.

  We are happy to have the Willards in our Leopard family!

Briana D. Murphy

This is Briana D. Murphy and she is in her second year of teaching at the east campus (room 203). She teaches SPED Biology, Chemistry, and IPC, and is also the Head Volleyball Coach, assistant basketball coach, and powerlifting coach. Briana graduated from Texas High School in 2012 and later studied at Wiley University and The University of Texas at Austin. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education and a Master of Education in Special Education.

In her free time, Briana enjoys going on hikes, writing and performing poetry, and spending time with her family. Before coming to LEHS, she served as the Executive Director of a non-profit organization called "Black Women in Business". Briana is passionate about her work and feels grateful to be part of the LEHS family. She often shares the analogy of seeds and roots to inspire her students, emphasizing the importance of growth and resilience.

Crystal Noiel

Crystal Noiel is one of the principals in the east campus office and this is her 13th year in education. She attended LEHS and continued her education at Texas A & M and Walden University in Minnesota, where she majored in history. It was time as a teacher's aid in 2004 that she heard the call to teach and began her career at Texas High School. 

Mrs. Johnson as been most helpful to her this year and this is her best year in education so far.  In her free time, Mrs. Noiel likes shopping at Target, eating and napping. The craziest thing she's done is run from a dog around the perimeter of the middle school. 

William Thompson/Head Principal

• Has been married to Sarah for 18 years. Daughters McKenna (17), Marley (11) and Maebry (8)

• Assistant Principal for two years at LE from 2021-2023

• 17th year in education with 10+ as a teacher/coach. My last coaching position was as the high school basketball coach at Redwater.

• Graduated from WGU and SAU. Bachelor degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Masters in Coaching/Kinesiology and Educational Leadership

• I knew that I wanted to have a career in education since the 9th grade.

Amanda Henry 

Amanda Henry is one of the newest principals located in the east campus office and has been in the educational realm for 22 years. She attended New Boston High School and Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Ark. 

She knew she wanted to teach in her sophomore year of college; therefore she decided to major in education. In her free time, she enjoys going to Target, Starbucks, and attending church. Ms. Block and Mrs. Reed have helped her the most so far this school year and she is excited to see the seniors graduate this school year, since she had them in the 4th grade. The craziest thing she's done is jump off a rope in Las Vegas. 

Denise Webb

Definitely not new to our district, but Mrs. Webb is now the secretary to our athletic director, Brad Willard. You can find her in the field house instead of room 4 on west campus. If you need to know anything concerning athletics, she's the go-to person!