Hayes High School Assistant Principal Rex Reeder, who will step into a new role as interim principal at the start of the year, said he’s committed to giving staff and students “the best.”

Reeder has been the assistant principal at Hayes for 10 years and joined the district with Principal Dr. Ric Stranges, who is leaving at the end of the month to become the superintendent of Buckeye Valley Local Schools.

Reeder said he was honored when the district asked him to fill Stranges’ position, but he noted he’s only in the position as an interim principal at his request.

“Interim is good for me,” Reeder said. “I know how many hours (being a high school principal takes), especially with two young kids and a mother in assisted living, so I know I have a lot going on. … Hayes means a lot to me, and the Delaware community does (as well). I thought it was important right now to keep the continuity to see if I could handle the position, to be honest.”

Reeder said the challenge of the position is managing the right work-life balance.

“It’s not the leadership (that worries me), the biggest thing is the time,” he said. “I know my number one job is to be a husband and father. That’s the most important thing to me, but I’ll give this everything I’ve got. The kids and the staff deserve nothing but the best because they’re all great.”

Reeder said he plans to continue the programs and initiatives at the school that he and Stranges piloted.

“I felt it was an honor to take this on and keep Dr. Stranges’ legacy,” Reeder said. “We’re not the same people. I lead differently. I’ll continue what we’re doing. We’ll continue our goals of giving opportunities to all students and personalizing to meet the needs of everybody.”

The leadership change was announced at a staff meeting Monday where Reeder told the staff he needs them to continue to be “one team.”

“We’re such a big staff,” Reeder said Wednesday. “I don’t think the community knows how big we are. Being one team is important. Multiple teams isn’t going to work. We need to be on the same page. We strive for that every day. It’s just hard. We’re a family, too. We disagree and have thoughts, but I expect us to do that behind closed doors and come out unified for the community and staff.”

Reeder said that “one team” also includes parents and the community.

“It’s important in this world to be a team,” he said. “I don’t think we should tear each other down. We need to be good teammates and help each other and our stakeholders. We have to work on that every day. At the end of the day, we are all Hayes Pacers. We’ll continue to strive for that, try and put norms in place that allow us to meet those expectations.

“The doors are open,” Reeder continued. “My number one job is to support my staff and students. There’s no doubt about it. I’ve got to make sure it’s a great place for everybody, but I need to hear from parents because we’re on the same time. I want the best for every kid, not just a few. We’re one school and one community. Let’s be on par here and work together to be the best we can be.”

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.