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Highlights and News

Highlights and News 

Dr. Robert Grimesey Named Region VI Superintendent of the Year
May 21, 2007
content_news_2007-05-21_HLSup_of_Year

 

Alleghany County Schools’ Leader Named
Virginia’s Region VI Superintendent of the Year

 

Pictured with Dr. Grimesey are the Principals of the seven Alleghany County schools. From left to right: Front row-Brenda Simple, CMS; Dr. Grimesey; Teresa Johnson, MVE; Second row-Deborah Farmer, FSES; J.R. Simpson, SES; Jan Hobbs, BSE; Kenny Higgins, AHS; and Nancy Moga, CES.
 		  


Dr. Robert P. “Bob” Grimesey, Jr., Superintendent of Alleghany County Public Schools, has been named Virginia’s Region VI Superintendent of the Year by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS). Grimesey was one of eight superintendents who received regional honors during VASS’s annual state convention at the Hotel Roanoke on May 8.

As one of the eight regional award recipients, Grimesey also was eligible for consideration as Virginia’s State Superintendent of the Year.  VASS bestowed the state-wide award on Dr. Donald Ford of Harrisonburg City Public Schools.

Virginia’s Region VI superintendents approved Grimesey’s nomination unanimously during their meeting in Rocky Mount in March. 
Virginia’s Region VI includes the counties of Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pittsylvania, and Roanoke, as well as the cities of
Covington, Danville, Martinsville, Roanoke and Salem. There are 132 school divisions in Virginia.

“No one nominates superintendents for awards unless the students in their communities are learning, growing and being kept safe,” Grimesey said.  “Alleghany County’s students are achieving success on a level that compares favorably with Virginia’s finest.  When a group nominates the superintendent for an award, they really are commending our teachers, our principals, our support staff, our parents, our school board, our community, and most of all, our students.  There’s no question that I appreciate the affirmation of my fellow superintendents.  But my real joy comes from knowing that this nomination brings attention to our wonderful students and teachers, and to everyone else who helps them to be all that they can be.”

Alleghany is one of only twenty-five Virginia school divisions where the division and all of its individual schools met all 149 “adequate yearly progress benchmarks” associated with the federal “No Child Left Behind” law.  All seven of Alleghany’s schools have met Virginia’s rigorous standards for “full accreditation” in each of the past three years.  Alleghany students accumulated over 340 perfect 600 scores on their Virginia SOL tests during the 2005-2006 school year.  During each of the past three years, over 90 percent of Alleghany’s third graders demonstrated reading ability that was at-or-above their grade level.  Fifty-two (one in four) of last year’s 214 eighth graders earned a high school credit in algebra.  Another sixteen (7 percent) earned credits in both high school algebra and geometry.  Almost 80% of the 177 members of Alleghany High School’s class of 2006 attended college after graduation, and 19 members of the class completed at least one full semester of college credit prior to their graduation.  Eighty-five of Alleghany’s 2006 graduates earned career and technical education seals on their diplomas, and twenty of them earned at least one dual enrollment credit in occupational-technical courses from our local community college.  Over 45% of Clifton Middle School’s 640 students are enrolled in the instrumental music program, and about 20% of the entire high school student body of 834 participates in the marching band.

“Dr. Grimesey’s continued commitment to education and his outstanding leadership in Alleghany County is evident through the continued high achievement of Alleghany students,” said Dr. Tiffany Anderson, Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools and Chair of the Region VI Nominating Committee.  “Dr. Grimesey has been a leader in Region VI while serving in his role as treasurer and vice chair in addition to his coordination of professional development experiences for the superintendents across the region.  We are privileged to recognize such an individual who is a true leader within his community.” 

“The Region VI superintendents are pleased to name Bob Grimesey as Region VI nominee for Virginia Superintendent of the Year for 2007,” added Mrs. Judy Lacks, Superintendent of Patrick County Public Schools and Region VI Chair.  “His personal commitment and enthusiasm for the mission of education and his professional and informed leadership approach make him an outstanding and worthy candidate for this prestigious award.”  Lacks cited Grimesey’s development of training opportunities for superintendents and principals, his legislative leadership on both state and federal funding issues, and his representation of southwest Virginia as a member of the Virginia High School League Executive Committee among the achievements that led to his nomination by the Region VI superintendents.

Since Grimesey’s arrival in 2001, Alleghany has renovated three elementary schools (Sharon, Callaghan and Falling Spring), and it restored an old elementary school (Central) for use as its school board offices.  Funding for the Central restoration was made possible by Grimesey’s work with Delegate Jim Shuler, State Senator Creigh Deeds and the Office of Governor Mark Warner to gain a resolution to a school funding oversight in the Clifton Forge reversion process.  Upon final resolution with the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia General Assembly, Alleghany County received a reduction in its state school funding index that resulted in a supplemental state appropriation of $410,000 per year for 15 years.

In a December 2005 random sample telephone survey conducted by the Virginia Tech Center for Survey Research, 92% of Alleghany County residents reported that they felt the school division was a “good” or “excellent” contributor to their sense of civic pride. (3.5% margin of error)  “That level of affirmation from the citizens of Alleghany County proves that our success results from a total team effort,” Grimesey said.

Grimesey was named Virginia Music Educators Association Administrator of the Year in November of 2004.  He also received the state “Curriculum and Instructional Leadership Award” from the Virginia Children’s Engineering Council in February, 2006.

Grimesey replaced Martin J. Loughlin as Superintendent of Alleghany County Public Schools on July 1, 2001.  Prior to coming to Alleghany County, Dr. Grimesey served from 1987 to 2001 in Rockingham County Public Schools as assistant principal of John C. Myers Middle School (1987-1991), principal of Ottobine Elementary School (1991-1994), principal of Spotswood High School (1994-1998), and director of grants and partnerships (1998-2001).  He began his administrative career as assistant principal at King George Middle School (1986-87).  Prior to becoming an administrator, Dr. Grimesey taught social studies and coached football and wrestling at Harrisonburg High School (1982-1984), and at Osbourn High School in Manassas City (1985-86).  He also served as a graduate assistant at James Madison University during 1984-85 while he completed work on his master of education degree in school administration.

He graduated from Fairfax County’s Annandale High School in 1974 and he received his Bachelor of Science degree in communication arts from James Madison University in 1978.  He served as a staff writer and sports writer for the Harrisonburg Daily News-Record between 1977 and 1984.  He also spent a year working as an agricultural volunteer in Israel during 1979-1980.  Dr. Grimesey completed his master’s degree in school administration in 1985 and he received his Doctor of Education degree in leadership and policy studies from the University of Virginia’s Curry School of Education in May 1991.

He married his wife, the former Carol Y. Martin, in 1982 and they reside in Alleghany County with their daughter, Hannah, who is a 10th grader at Alleghany High School.  Both of the Grimeseys’ older children graduated from Alleghany High School.  Their son John currently is a junior at Virginia Tech and their daughter Sarah is in her first year at the University of Virginia.
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