PRINCIPAL:
At the Tuesday meeting, board President Lonetta Riley, before members of the public spoke, thanked Reusser for his service and wished him success.
Out of the crowd attending the meeting, three people spoke publicly, including Karen Anderson, an RVHS science teacher.
“I’m here tonight because I feel like – and many others are with me – this has nothing to do with job performance, it has to do with personal and political reasons,” Anderson said. “I’m amazed that this board would actually vote to release this man. Why you’re not on his doorstep begging him to stay is beyond me.”
She said Reusser has a personal connection with the students, faculty and staff and that quality makes him an amazing administrator.
“When I see a man like that treated the way he’s been treated by this district it is absolutely disgusting to me,” she said to the board. “This is a huge blow to our school, the students are upset, obviously I’m upset, I think you got that message. I’m just blown away.”
After the meeting, Gabe McKoy, a River Valley senior, said rumors had been circulating, and teachers only recently confirmed Reusser’s departure. McKoy has played football during his four years at the high school – he said Reusser came to every practice and talked with each player individually.
“It really touched me to hear about this since he was always there at our practice,” McKoy said.
He said Reusser stood at the River Valley gate during prom and spoke with each student leaving about the importance of getting home safely.
“The thought that he cares that much about his students to stand at the gate and tell each one ‘make it home safe,’ you can’t find someone like that.”
Originally, Reusser was not going to be allowed to participate in this year’s graduation ceremonies, but Osumi, after hearing from staff members, decided to allow it.
Reusser has been the principal of RVHS for eight years. In that time, he said in an interview, the school had the highest graduation rate percentage point increase in the district, rising seven percentage points in seven years.
“During my tenure there, I was able to make some positive changes so that River Valley is a school that kids want to go to and that parents want to send their kids to,” Reusser said. “Student life, staff morale and any kind of measurable test score has gone up and up.”
“The current superintendent (Doreen Osumi) and I have a different philosophy on how to run an organization, and that’s OK,” Reusser said.
He said he is proud of the accomplishments he shared with his faculty and staff at the school.
“The support that I have from the faculty, staff and students is overwhelming. It’s hard for me to talk about,” Reusser said. “The River Valley community is just simply amazing.”