Reed leaves Hartselle City Schools on top
Championships and blue ribbons have been common during the last eight years for Hartselle City Schools under Superintendent Dr. Mike Reed.
“It’s been a great ride,” said Reed, who is retiring at the end of June and headed back home to southern Mississippi. “I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my 45-year career in public schools.”
Hartselle’s city school system has seen unprecedented success under the leadership of Reed. Athletic teams have won eight state championships and have expanded Advanced Placement classes have expanded at Hartselle High School.
All three elementary schools are Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence, with the other schools currently working on achieving that recognition as well.
Reed also guided the system through the construction of the new Hartselle High School, of which the new school’s athletic facilities should be completed by this fall.
However, the achievement he might be most proud of was when Barkley Bridge Elementary School was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
“That’s probably the one accomplishment that I’m most proud of,” Reed said. “That’s the pinnacle of education to receive that honor. Not everyone can achieve that accomplishment.”However, Reed believes Hartselle City Schools are poised for more success in the future.
“I think this school system is ready to take off,” Reed said. “There are no issues with finances, academics or anything like that. With the right leadership, we will see Hartselle continue to soar.”
One area he hopes the system will continue to grow is in its pre-kindergarten program. Reed’s vision for the pre-K program would be to have a year-round program, so parents could choose it instead of having to rely on daycare.
“The main issue we had with a pre-K program is that we didn’t have the room to grow,” Reed said. “Now we have 12 additional classrooms at the elementary schools where the school system, if it chooses, could host a pre-K program. It could be a self-sustaining program because you could charge tuition.”
The key to the success, according to Reed, has been his working relationship with the Board of Education.
“I’ve had an excellent relationship with the school board,” Reed said. “They have been supportive over the years. There’s no way we could have had this kind of success if it wasn’t for their support.”
