Walnut Grove taps high school principal, basketball coach as next superintendent
Rory Henry moved to Walnut Grove for a teaching job 14 years ago and made it his home.
The Wheatland native worked in his hometown and Macks Creek before accepting a job as a P.E. teacher and coach in Walnut Grove.
He has spent the past 11 years in administration, working as an assistant principal, principal, athletic director and transportation director. He has also been the head basketball coach.
In late December, Henry was hired as the new superintendent for the nearly 300-student district in north Greene County. He will start July 1, replacing Adam Willard.
"We just really love this community. It's an excellent place to raise a family and I love how the community comes together and supports one another," said Henry, whose wife is a supervisor with the state. "We started both my children (in school) here and I'm fully invested here."
The school board selected Henry from roughly a dozen applicants.
"The board was pleased by the quality of the applicants and feels that Mr. Henry is going to be a great fit for our school district," said board president Jeremy Kelley, in a news release. "Mr. Henry has been committed to the Walnut Grove R-V School District over the past 14 years in so many different ways. He has a passion for helping the students, staff, and community, which is evident in his style of leadership."
Henry said the tough part of the promotion is giving up his role as a coach, working directly with student-athletes.
"Ultimately, I thought it was the right time to further my career and go to the next challenge," he said. "Dr. Willard has done such a great job of moving the district forward and we're in such a good place. I felt like I could follow him and implement some of the things he's been doing and continue to make our district stronger."
He said the facility upgrades paid for with a tax levy increase approved by voters will be wrapping up this year, as he moves into the new role.
Willard, hired in Walnut Grove five years ago, has accepted a job as superintendent in Lathrop, a 900-student district in northwest Missouri, where he and his wife grew up. They have three children in grades 1-6.
"It gets us back closer to grandmas and grandpas for the kids, and their cousins and aunts and uncles. It's about 45 minutes from both of our hometowns," Willard said. "We just felt it was time. Our kids are getting older."
Looking back, Willard said he is proud of how the employees, school leadership and school board were able to work together to develop a strategic plan and set goals.
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In August 2021, after a string of narrow defeats at the polls, Walnut Grove voters approved the tax levy increase to add space, upgrade facilities and address deferred maintenance.
Willard praised the "grit that everyone showed throughout the levy request and the determination that all of our supporters had in getting the building project passed."
Willard said he is most proud of the commitment of teachers, and how they have embraced training and curriculum initiatives. He said that, along with support from families, helped keep academic achievement high during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"They're very, very professional, everybody in that community is, but I can't give enough kudos to teachers. It is a great place for kids," he said.
Claudette Riley covers education for the News-Leader. Email tips and story ideas to criley@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Walnut Grove taps principal, basketball coach as next district leader
