SOUTH POINT – The South Point School District soon will have a new superintendent.

Sunday, June 24, 2001

SOUTH POINT – The South Point School District soon will have a new superintendent. The board of education has selected Fred Reeder of London to replace retiring superintendent Rick Waggoner.

Losing a good superintendent and selecting a new one has been challenging, board member Terry Blake said.

Glenn Adkins, another member of the South Point Board of Education, described Reeder as a dynamic and impressive person.

"I hope he can fill the shoes Mr. Waggoner did," Adkins said. "He seems like the right man for the job."

Blake agreed, adding, "I think he is coming to us with a lot of experience and enthusiasm, and I think he’s the type of guy to keep us going in the right direction."

Reeder said he is excited to be working with South Point’s board, faculty and staff, even though he said there will be challenges.

The future superintendent said that in his interactions with members of the South Point district he has seen that they have the best interests of the students at heart.

"This is vitally important if we are going to make students succeed," he said.

His term as superintendent will officially begin July 16.

Reeder was born and raised in Huntington, W.Va. He obtained undergraduate and masters degrees at Marshall University and did graduate studies at Bowling Green and the University of Tennessee.

Reeder’s first educational experience was as a dorm director at Marshall. His next position was as an educator with the Cabell County school system in West Virginia.

He served as principal in a suburb of Cincinnati at Mount Healthy City Schools for six years. Next, he was principal and assistant superintendent at Port Clinton City Schools. Reeder later was superintendent for Warren Local Schools in Vinton, a suburb of Columbus. His most recent position was with Madison-Plains Local School District in Madison County.

He has been active in professional and civic organizations and honored professionally.

Reeder’s wife, LaDonna, is also an educator. She is a Martha Holden Jennings Scholar.

"Being a superintendent is quite an honor and a responsibility," Reeder said, adding that he is excited about working with the board, faculty and staff in South Point.

As he looks back on the eight years he served as superintendent of the South Point School District, Waggoner sees progress.

Waggoner, who is retiring after 30 years in Lawrence County schools, said he thinks the school district has made improvements during his time as superintendent, adding that proficiency scores have almost doubled.

"It’s been my privilege and a real pleasure to work with the South Point people," Waggoner said.

South Point Board of Education members Glenn Adkins and Terry Blake said they enjoyed working with Waggoner as well.

"We’ve had a pretty good work relationship, and we’re sorry to see him leave," Blake said.

Before Waggoner was superintendent, he spent six years as assistant superintendent and 13 as principal at South Point Middle School. For three years, he taught math and physics at Fairland High School.

Waggoner said he and his wife will be moving to Georgia.

"We love the South," he said.

However, the lifelong South Point resident said it will be difficult to leave the area.

In Georgia, his wife will teach, and Waggoner said he may become involved in the school system or pursue business interests.

Waggoner said leadership is a challenge he has enjoyed, and his upcoming move will be another.

The outgoing superintendent described his successor, Fred Reeder, favorably, saying he is very professional and a quality individual.