Riddle School District

For a complete list of our staff, visit our staff list.

Ms. Laura Means is our new Riddle Elementary Principal.  She joined our district last year, serving as Assistant Principal of our K-6 school.  Ms. Means has been an educator for over 30 years. She began her career as an instructional assistant working with striving readers and English Language Learners in a Title I classroom.  She went on to pursue her teaching license and has many years of classroom experience ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade.

Before moving here, she taught in the Coos Bay School District for 23 years, where she was a reading interventionist and Lead Teacher. She brings with her several years of experience as a leader; as an instructional coach and program coordinator, as well as district level leadership.  Ms. Means loves learning and teaching and is very excited to be leading our Riddle staff and students.

 Ms. Means has always been an advocate for children, and has worked hard to build strong literacy programs, enrich learning across the curriculum, and remove barriers to student success for ALL.  She said, “I absolutely love the Riddle Elementary School community and I am so grateful to be working with such amazing staff, students, and families!” 

Mr. Hobson joined the Riddle School District in the fall of 2002 as a Social Studies teacher.  Since then, he has taught many different classes within the Social Studies spectrum, but routinely, he is blessed with teaching 8th grade U.S. History, High School U.S. History, U.S. Government, Personal Finance, and Government. He is now the junior and senior high principal.

As an educator, Mr. Hobson tries to make his classes fun and enjoyable and relate topics to what his students are going through in their lives.  Dates may change, but the psychology of humans has not.  He is very proud of the fact that in his Personal Finance class, students learn how to do taxes.  By their senior year, many of our seniors are doing their own taxes and understand how those taxes affect their future.  Beyond that, like many of his peers at a small school, other things fall on his plate.  Mr. Hosbon is the high school Athletic Director and has coached many different sports here at Riddle High School.  Currently, he is the Head Boys Basketball Coach for the high school.  At the end of the day, he loves working at Riddle School District because of the people he comes in contact with. He said, "The staff here is amazing and truly cares about their students.  The students here are a joy to be around, and I am very proud of all of them."

Dave Gianotti began working in Riddle in 2004 and is currently the Superintendent and Maintenance Director of the school district. Dave began teaching Science courses overseas in the US Peace Corps in 1987. He has taught and worked in elementary, junior high, high schools and college levels mainly in sciences, but he also taught several years in language arts, mathematics, theater, outdoor education, and other areas as needed.

Dave has the best job in the world working with Riddle Elementary School students and appreciates the support of the Riddle community. “I would personally like to thank the Riddle community and parents for their support of the Riddle School District. We are fortunate to be able to work with these great kids!”

Ms. Amy began as a Title I Aide in 2005. She eventually moved into the position of Office Secretary. She wears several hats in the district and has been invaluable in getting the 2022-2023 school year up and running.

She prides herself in positive communication between herself, parents and students.

Corina keeps our JR/SR school building clean and students fed, working as a custodian and in the cafeteria. She’s full of a unique spunk we all enjoy.

'I absolutely LOVE my job!'

Lavelda has been a pillar at the JR/SR High for over two decades. Beginning a new school year is no easy task and Lavelda does it all with a smile.

‘Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying ‘I will try again tomorrow.’’

After helping to tutor his own grandchildren, Lance discovered a passion for teaching and working with children. A resident of Riddle, Oregon, a small town about 25 miles south of Roseburg, he met with his Medford-based Vocational Counselor Jane Hagle to discuss coordinating a work experience in the Riddle School District. He became an Instructional Assistant at Riddle High School, focused on helping students with disabilities in the subjects of math and language arts.

“My first week has been absolutely amazing!” he told Jane. “I have worked with a number of new students, and I just can’t express how much I enjoy my job!”

It did not take long for Riddle High’s Principal, William Starkweather, to also recognize Lance’s passion and skill for tutoring youth, and he offered Lance a permanent position as an Instructional Assistant.