This morning, Southside School District Superintendent Roger Rich announced the retirement of Southside High School Principal Roger Ried (pictured above) after 29 years on the job. Rich said Ried’s replacement will be the current assistant middle-school principal, Jimmy Hodges
Rich said it is never easy to lose a top-notch educator of Ried’s caliber.
“He’s done a heckuva job,” Rich told White River Now. “He’s a fantastic educator, and he will be sorely missed. He’s earned the right to kick back and do something different for a while. Twenty-nine years as a principal — there’s a special place in heaven for someone that’s been able to do that. We owe a lot of gratitude to him. He’s done a lot to set our Future Story program up. And he loves our kids. There’s no doubt about that.”
Rich said Hodges (pictured below) will be a ‘rockstar’ in education.
“Jimmy’s been with us for about four years now, and he just finished last year as assistant principal at our middle school. He’s going to be a rockstar in the education field. He just has a great mind and has a service heart that we’re looking for,” said Rich. “We’re excited to have him on board and just can’t wait to see the great things he’s going to be able to do for our high school.”
Rich said Hodges is a graduate of Williams Baptist College where he played sports. Hodges later had a couple of stints as a coach in the public schools of Walnut Ridge and Cave City.
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