HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The new Cabell County School Superintendent is glad to be back home in West Virginia for the start of the school year.
Ryan Saxe, 35, a Cabell County native, started the new job last month. The first day of school was last week.
He returned back to the Mountain State after spending a few years in Florida. He served as the executive director of curriculum and professional learning at Manatee County Schools in Bradenton, Florida.
“I think the allure of coming back to my West Virginia roots and providing leadership to Cabell County Schools is just something that I take such pride in,” Saxe said.
Saxe is a 2000 graduate of Cabell Midland High School. When he returned to the school in July, he received a warm welcome home.
“Getting the opportunity to stand in the marching band room and having the Cabell Midland band play our Cabell Midland fight song — it really, really symbolized me coming full circle,” he said.
During his time as superintendent, Saxe said he plans to combat the drug epidemic in his county.
“My team and I are evaluating the drug programs that we have had in place over the past year or two. We’re looking at additional grants to ensure that we’re meeting the needs of our youngsters to make sure that they’re making healthy choices,” he said.
Saxe said he’s looking forward to applying his past experiences to his current job. The school district in Florida has approximately 50,000 students, which is a lot more than Cabell County’s student body, he said.
“Some of the things that were implemented in a district outside of the state of West Virginia, and taking those successes and trying to potentially apply them here as a potential solution — that difference in perspective is really, really helpful,” he said.
Saxe replaces former Cabell County School Superintendent Bill Smith who retired last month.