On Monday, December 18, after the inaugural Ice Games competitions came to a close, students, staff and administrators lined the hallways shoulder-to-shoulder in order to witness Ric Stranges’ final walk as principal.
After roughly a decade, Stranges left Hayes in order to take up a superintendent position at Buckeye Valley City Schools.
“The governor changed the way the Department of Education (DOE) is set up so that the governor controls it instead of [other] elected officials,” Hayes math teacher Joanne Meyer said. “So Paul Craft, who was the superintendent at Buckeye Valley, got the new superintendent job with the state and the state said that he would start January 1st.”
After a lengthy legal battle, Governor Mike DeWine will now oversee the overhauled Ohio DOE, with Craft acting as the superintendent for the entire state.
However, this move left Buckeye Valley without a superintendent into the new year.
“I had no intention of leaving, really. When I put things up on the wall, I put them there permanently. When I write on things, I do it with permanent ink. I was planning on staying,” Stranges said. “But the job opened and they came and asked me if I would be the one. Because it’s in the middle of the year, it’s kind of odd timing. But a superintendent position is the highest position that an educator can get in a school district, so it’s a wonderful honor that they would ask me and offer me the position.”
Stranges first came to Delaware after his time as a principal for New Albany Plain-Local Schools and said that he sought to bring Hayes to the spotlight.
“I’m probably most proud of Hayes moving from good to great; [including] the Blue Ribbon School of Excellence distinction, being nationally recognized as a lighthouse school and being named one of the top high schools in the country,” Stranges said.
The largest initiatives enacted under Stranges’ leadership include the institution of the House and mastery grading systems.
Other notable policies include mandatory lanyards for all students and the reformation of the dress code.
“Honestly, and I know it’s cliche, but I have been so fortunate and blessed to be here at Hayes for so long. Not many people stay a decade, but because I stayed so long, I’m sure I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way. But when you think about where we are and where we started, I wouldn’t change a thing,” Stranges said. “It’s just been a great journey. We came together in 2013 and I think the expectation was for me to stay a few years and move on like others, but I had a place that I didn’t want to move on from. I wanted to stay and help Hayes get better and better every year.”
Stranges said that he has tried to be supportive of his students and staff and hopes that his successor will do the same.
“Take care of the staff and take care of our most prized possessions; our students,” Stranges said. “In the community, be visible in the hallways and the classrooms so that they know who you are, what you stand for and how you will support them.”
Meyer said that a significant aspect of Stranges’ leadership was his encouragement of emotional learning alongside academics.
“He has set the bar for a rigorous education, a safe environment and a fair and equitable experience for everybody,” Meyer said. “And to me, the most important thing is not just about your academics. I mean, obviously that’s super important, but it’s about having an environment where we can grow academically and emotionally all together. I think he has worked hard to provide that safe environment.”
Former Hayes assistant principal Rex Reeder took over the interim principal role when students returned from winter break.
“We want to find the best option [after high school] for you,” Reeder said in an assembly to students on Jan 3. “We’re so lucky to have this teaching staff who wants to get you where you want to go.”
Along with post-graduation readiness, Reeder said that his administration will hold students to a new standard of excellence.
Reeder also said that he will be cracking down on issues with bathroom overcrowding, class skipping and other behavioral concerns.
“Do your best, give your best, and then we will give you ours,” Reeder said.
