Jeremy Conley is returning to a Fox C-6 School District campus that is close to his heart.
Conley, who has been the assistant principal at Meramec Heights Elementary School since 2024, has been named the next principal at Fox Elementary School in Arnold.
He will replace Jennifer Fritz, who is retiring at the end of this school year after serving as Fox Elementary’s principal since 2022.
Conley was a special education teacher at Fox High, which is part of the Arnold campus that includes the Fox middle and elementary schools, Central Office and Rickman Auditorium, for five years before moving into the assistant principal role at Meramec Heights. He also coached baseball, basketball and football at Fox High.
“It was a situation where I wanted to be back on the main campus,” said Conley, 43, of Imperial. “I love that campus. I have spent a lot of time there. That campus holds a special place for me and my family.
“I am doing the (public address) announcing for the football team now to try to keep that closeness and ties to the high school. Being back over there is going to be bittersweet. I love it here at Meramec, but getting back to the main campus is going to be awesome.”
Conley will assume the Fox Elementary principal role on July 1. His annual salary will be $124,689 after being paid $92,651 as an assistant principal this school year.
Fritz’s salary for this school year is $131,613. Her final day with Fox C-6 will be June 30.
“I am excited for Jeremy,” said Fritz, 50, of Imperial. “This is a wonderful school with a supportive community. I look forward to meeting with him, and I will help him in any way. He will be surrounded by a great team.”
Fox C-6 Board of Education members voted unanimously during an April 28 closed session to name Conley the next Fox Elementary principal. Fritz’s retirement was accepted as part of the consent agenda during the March 31 board meeting.
Conley
Conley, who turns 44 on May 18, said becoming a principal has been one of his goals.
He started his career as a teacher’s assistant at Ridgewood and Fox middle schools before becoming a special education teacher at Hillsboro High School for one year. He returned to Fox C-6 in 2014 and was a special education teacher at Ridgewood Middle for five years before moving to Fox High in 2019.
Conley said he has learned a lot about elementary education over the last two years at Meramec Heights after spending most of his career at the secondary education level.
“I absolutely love the elementary setting,” he said. “I didn’t know what it was going to be like until I put myself in that situation a couple of years ago as the assistant principal over here at Meramec, and now, I don’t think I will ever go back.”
Nathan Burch, Fox C-6 assistant superintendent of human resources, said eight people applied for the Fox Elementary principal position, and the district interviewed six candidates.
Burch said Conley stood out during the interviews due to his deep connections within the Fox community and his ability to build strong, trusting relationships with students and staff.
“He is a visible, student-centered leader who leads by example, maintains a strong presence in the building and brings a collaborative, steady approach while keeping a clear focus on a positive and inclusive school culture,” Burch said.
Conley earned a bachelor’s degree in middle school social studies from Missouri Baptist University, a master’s degree in educational administration from Southwest Baptist University and an education specialist degree in educational administration and superintendency from Southwest Baptist.
He said he is prepared to take on more responsibilities as a principal, such as curriculum decisions, managing the building’s budget, community relations and working with the parents’ club.
“There is a lot more responsibility that goes into it,” Conley said. “I welcome the challenge. It is not going to be easy by any stretch, but I can’t wait to get started.”
Conley also said he will miss Meramec Heights.
“I absolutely love the community over here at Meramec Heights,” he said. “They have done nothing but treat me with respect and kindness. I hope that will be the same warm welcome that I am going to get at Fox Elementary, and I will give them the same love and respect that I have given this community at Meramec.”
Conley’s wife, Christina Perkins, is a special education teacher at Seckman High, and their son, Christopher Perkins, graduated from Seckman High School in 2018. Conley said his mother-in-law, Teresa Lewis, was a long-time teacher at Ridgewood Middle.
Fritz
Fritz is leaving Fox C-6 after a 25-year career in the district.
She started as a teacher at Meramec Heights in 2001, and she was named the assistant principal for Antonia, Guffey and Meramec Heights elementary schools in 2007.
Fritz became an assistant principal at Seckman High School in 2013 before returning to the elementary level in 2018 at Guffey Elementary.
“I love the Fox School District, and I am a proud graduate of Fox High School,” she said. “I am so grateful to have worked at so many great schools in the district. It feels like it is time for my next chapter.”
Dustin Bain, Fox C-6 assistant superintendent of elementary education, said Fritz is a great person who always focused on how students could be supported.
“Anytime you have a leader with that amount of experience and knowledge vacate a position they are going to be missed,” Bain said. “Jennifer brought so much institutional knowledge about what makes Fox C-6 a great place to receive an education. Jennifer graduated from this district, she raised her boys in this district and continues to reside in this district. We will miss the passion she brings for our community.”
Fritz is married to Jeromy Fritz, and the couple has three sons, Tristan, Hunter and Blake Fritz.
Fritz said one of the highlights of her time at Fox Elementary has been highlighting the school’s fifth grade leaders.
“They do a weekly newscast called Warrior Nation News,” she said of the fifth grade classes. “They highlight upcoming events, the weather, Fox High School sports and interview special guests. It has been wonderful watching them shine.
“I will miss the students and the wonderful staff members and families who I have had the pleasure of working with throughout my career.”
Meramec Heights
Fox C-6 started looking for the next Meramec Heights assistant principal on May 1 and stopped accepting applications on May 10. The listed salary range for the position was $92,664 to $123,172.
Burch said the district’s goal is to bring a recommendation to fill the position to board members on June 2.
“We will be looking for an assistant principal who is student-centered and committed to building on the strong work already taking place at Meramec Heights, while supporting staff and fostering a positive, collaborative school environment,” he said.