Administration

Andrea Coppinger

I am entering my twentieth year in education and am incredibly honored to serve as Principal at Atchison Elementary School. I am a passionate educator dedicated to building strong relationships with students, staff, families, and community members. I am committed to creating a challenging learning environment and believe in setting high expectations for all students to promote student and academic growth and success. I have gained valuable experience as a classroom teacher with the Fort Leavenworth and Pleasant Ridge School Districts, teaching second grade and fifth grade at the elementary level and math at the middle school level, and as Associate Principal at AES for five years. I received a Master of Arts in School Leadership and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Benedictine College in Atchison and a Master of Arts in Education from Baker University. Throughout my career, I have served on numerous leadership committees including District Leadership Team, Building Leadership Team, and Instructional Support Team. I have been involved in numerous coaching and volunteer opportunities and have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in roles such as volleyball coach, student council sponsor, and religious education teacher. My husband and I have two children and reside in rural Jefferson County where we are actively involved in 4-H and enjoy spending time outdoors.

Catherine Gundersen

Associate Principal
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Cathy Gundersen is in her 36th year as an educator. She began her role as Associate Principal at Atchison Elementary in July of 2025. She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from Kearney State College, a Master’s Degree in Education from Peru State College, and Building and District Level Educational Administration Certification from Emporia State College. She has taught high school English and Physical Education as well as middle school English, and has coached a variety of sports during her tenure as an educator. She was a principal at both the elementary and high school levels before becoming one of the Associate Principals at AES.

Cathy is dedicated to helping create a positive and inclusive school culture where the priority is always on the students' safety and well-being. She has extensive experience, a passion for education, and a commitment to student success.

She is married to Gordon, who is a high school math teacher in Hiawatha. They have two daughters, four grandchildren, and three dogs. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, watching the Nebraska Cornhuskers and playing golf and pickleball.

Charles Stillian

Associate Principal
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I am entering my thirty-first year in education and I am proud to serve as an Associate Principal at Atchison Elementary School. I am committed to building relationships with students, staff, families, and the community. I believe that all students want to meet high expectations that their teachers set for them and I want to help our staff create a safe and challenging atmosphere for our students. I have teaching experience in the Leavenworth School District where I was a middle school social studies teacher as well as a high school football coach and middle school basketball and track coach. I have administrative experience in the Fort Leavenworth and Garden City School Districts as an Associate Principal at the middle school level as well as spending the last ten years as a Transportation Director both in Garden City and Atchison. I received a Bachelor in General Studies from the University of Kansas and a Master in School Leadership from Baker University. I currently live in Atchison with my wife who I met at the University of Kansas and who is also a teacher in the district. We have a daughter who is also a KU alum and who works in the political realm and a son who is set to graduate from KU in December of 2025 with a degree in sports management. My off time usually revolves around KU and KC sports as well as house and yard work.