School Teachers, Administrators, and Staff

Mr. Jeff DeBoard retired, after 33 years in the public education system, with 32 of those years spent at Woodlawn High School. Mr. DeBoard teaches 7th/8th grade Math, Science, and History, as well as 5th/6th grade Math, Science, and Religion. He is thrilled to be able to teach religion and to incorporate God’s word in every subject. Favorite Bible verse, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). 

Tarra Persing comes to Trinity with a degree from Greenville University and a great heart for children! Tarra has experience in Early Childhood Education and creates a welcome learning environment for her students! 

Mrs. Christina DeBoard has been at Trinity Lutheran School since August of 1994.  She taught 3rd grade until they combined classes. Then, she taught 3rd and 4th grade.  In 2019, Mrs. DeBoard was asked to be principal, which she did until December of 2023.  Currently, she is teaching 3rd and 4th grade along with teaching technology classes for all students. 

Mrs. DeBoard’s husband, Jeff, retired from Woodlawn High school and is now teaching at Trinity as well. They have 2 daughters, Cassie and Corinne, a son-in-law, Shawn and a grandson, Emil. Both of their daughters are also teachers. Cassie teaches 4th grade at Willow Grove. Corinne is a high school Math teacher at Centralia High School. Mrs. DeBoard’s favorite Bible verse is: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. “ Philippians 4:13

Mrs. Meghan Cox aims to make learning to read and spell fun and engaging, and enjoys all the hands-on ways to learn math while teaching her students the importance of all the math skills they will need in life.

Mrs. Cox has been married to her husband Jason for 20 years and they have three children: Tommy, a senior at Christ Our Rock, Norah a sophomore at COR and Kyle an 8th grader at New Horizon Christian School. Together they farm 450 acres and in the summer raise show pigs for 4-H and FFA, traveling to several county fairs in July and August. In her spare time she enjoys reading, watching Norah play volleyball, Tommy golf and Kyle play basketball and baseball. Her favorite verse is “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬

Mrs. Thompson has worked in education since 2014. Her passion for working with young children started much earlier, though. She spent her teenage years babysitting, teaching Sunday School and volunteering at church camp. She has several years of experience working in early childhood, and it is her favorite age group to work with. She loves helping students academically, but sharing the love of Jesus with them is one of her favorite things. Ashley shares two children with her husband, Kevin. Declan and Rayna both attend Trinity Lutheran and the whole family loves it! In their free time, they enjoy camping and playing with their dog, Max. Her favorite Bible verse is, “Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. Psalm 116:7.” 

Ms. Tiffany has been with Trinity since 2024 and has been working with preschoolers for three years before that. She remembers loving to ask questions, read stories, and learning about the world around her while she was in school. They are still some of her favorites. She has two dogs and likes coffee, Coke Zero, and an occasional Snickers bar. Preschoolers can expect to discover new ideas, try their best, and celebrate their progress along the way.

Mr. Anthony Starr is a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and serves currently as the custodian for Trinity Lutheran School.  He has been with Trinity since October 2011.  He was born and raised in Centralia.  Tony’s favorite thing he likes about working at Trinity is Lunch Time.  His favorite hymn is “Do Lord”.  His favorite scripture is John 3:16 and Psalm 117:1-2.  His favorite food is chicken but he enjoys any kind of food. 

Mrs. Jennifer Gross was the Administrator of Career Beginnings and Work Skills Training at Murray Center before coming to Trinity. She received her BS in Criminal Justice from Central State University and has served as Internal Security Investigator reporting to the Illinois DHS Office of Inspector General. She loves kids, music, and her Jeep. She gardens in the spring, watches ball games in the summer, lives her best life in the fall, and tolerates winter. She has four younger brothers, one son, a daughter-in-law, and two pretty awesome grand-kids. Her favorite Bible verse is Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.”