The Santa Fe R-X School District has hired their next guidance counselor.

At their board of education meeting Jan. 8, the district confirmed the hiring of Lisa Nevels. In a statement, superintendent Derek Lark said the district is “incredibly fortunate” to have Nevels making her way to Santa Fe from Lexington R-V Schools. Nevels will succeed Jenny Hobbs, who in October announced her retirement after 13 years at Santa Fe High School.

Also at this month’s board meeting, Supt. Lark reported that four of the five air conditioning units atop the high school gym roof were replaced over the holiday. Lark said the last remaining unit is the same age as the gym, and should continue to function for several years following the replacement of several components.

During executive session, the school board agreed to extend Supt. Lark’s contract until the end of the 2027-28 school year, and accepted the retirement notice of physical education teacher Gentry Lark.

The next meeting of the Santa Fe R-X School Board is set for Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. at the high school in Alma.