Fox High School Principal Ryan Sherp will soon say goodbye to the school he has overseen for the past 10 school years.
Sherp, 58, of Hillsboro will retire on June 30.
“I want to have a little more relaxation time on my hands,” he said. “The amount of time and energy that you need to put into this position is a lot. It is an awesome position, but it is taxing at times.
“It was a tough decision to make. I love my school, kids, staff and community. It is hard to let go of all of that. I am so grateful for the community. The love and support they have shown me during my tenure has been amazing and greatly appreciated.”
Sherp has been Fox High’s principal since the start of the 2015-2016 school year, and his annual salary this school year is $148,755.
Before joining the Fox district, Sherp was the assistant principal at Lindbergh High School for eight years, after working there one year as the area coordinator with the Special School District.
He began his career in education in 2001 and worked as a special education teacher at Oakville High School and as a social studies teacher at Roosevelt High School.
Before he got into education, Sherp was a child abuse investigator for the Division of Family Services in St. Louis for two years. He also managed a French restaurant called Cafe Provencal for 17 years.
Fox C-6 School District Superintendent Paul Fregeau said Sherp will be missed.
“He is a positive force in the building and district,” Fregeau said. “I am sure he will go on and do more great and positive things in his next endeavor.”
Sherp said he does not have any immediate plans for his retirement.
“I will spend some time on the golf course, playing poor golf,” he said. “I will spend more time with my family and my mom (Donna).”
Sherp and his wife, Meghann, have two daughters, Savannah, 21, and Gillian, 23.
He said Gillian is studying to be a speech pathologist and is scheduled to graduate with a master’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau this spring. Savanah is studying to be a special education teacher and currently works as a paraprofessional at Clyde Hamrick Elementary School in the Fox district.
Accomplishments
Looking back at his time at Fox High, Sherp said he is most proud of helping guide the school through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That was without question the most trying time in educational history,” he said. “That experience wasn’t just a one-year deal. It took multiple years to get back to where we are now, which is school as usual.”
Sherp also said he is proud of the facility upgrades at the school during his tenure, including renovations to classrooms, the installation of new turf in the athletic stadium, the construction of a new press box at the stadium and the recently completed three-story addition that houses family and consumer science classrooms and new science labs.
“These were things that our students have needed for a long period of time, and we were able to get them done,” he said.
Fregeau said Sherp always showed love for students and staff members, had a positive mindset and found ways to create positive solutions for various issues.
Fregeau pointed to how Sherp handled the recent deaths of retired Fox educators Kevin Rossiter, Martin Johnson, Art Kasey and Jerry O’Connor.
“He allowed the kids to dress in certain ways to honor them and do (charitable fundraisers),” Fregeau said. “He was flexible to let those minds work and find the best way to honor those men. He let the kids take ownership and let the kids buy into supporting those who supported this district for so long.”
Next principal
The district posted the opening for the Fox High principal position on Nov. 8 and accepted applications through Monday.
Fregeau said the district would like to have the next principal named before the winter break, which begins on Dec. 3 and ends Jan. 6. However, he also said it could take longer to find the right fit.
“We are not going to rush it,” he said. “We are going to make sure we have a quality candidate to bring to the board.”
Fregeau said the next Fox High principal will need to be a great leader who loves kids and can guide the school to the next level.
“Dr. Sherp has done a great job, and the next person needs to continue his work to make Fox the best high school it can be,” Fregeau said.
Sherp said he will work to make the transition to the next principal a smooth one.
“Our kids deserve it, our staff deserves it and so does the person who will be taking the reins of Fox High,” he said.