Meet the Principal

EDWARDSVILLE - This school year marks the largest turnover in administrative positions the Edwardsville School District has seen. Most of these changes were due to retirements with a few administrators making moves to other districts. These new positions yield a number of new faces with whom families may not be familiar.

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Now more than ever, with the change in the educational landscape to hybrid schedules and remote learning, it is important for a community to know the people leading their teachers and children. Riverbender.com and EdGlen Today.com will be hosting a series titled “Meet the Principal” to help readers become acquainted with these new faces.

Dr. Steve Stuart, Edwardsville High School Principal

With close to 2,400 students enrolled this year, Edwardsville High School (EHS) has the largest enrollment of any school in Madison County, more than 300 additional students than the next largest high school. The role of principal at EHS requires the management of the high school campus, EHS South (the alternative school), the N.O.Nelson campus, and a large sports complex.

In addition to the physical spaces, an enrollment of 2,400 students equates to hundreds of parent calls a week, a massive main campus building to operate, a plethora of courses taught, and an extremely large staff to supervise, but somehow, Dr. Steve Stuart makes it look effortless.

Steve understands the high school experience at its core. He has been a student at EHS, a parent of children who graduated from EHS, an assistant principal and now the principal.

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He has had the advantage of spending seven years as assistant principal at EHS prior to assuming the principal position at Lincoln Middle School. Returning to the high school was like coming home for Steve – many of the staff members and teachers are the same, and although his administrative team has some newer faces, they are a solid group who work extremely well together.

EHS holds a special place for Dr. Stuart for another reason, as well. Steve’s father Bob Stuart was the Superintendent of District 7 until 1996. Bob was responsible for creating the plan that led to the construction of EHS where his son is now the instructional leader.

When asked, what the biggest difference is between being a middle school principal and a high school principal, Dr. Stuart replied, “When I was the principal at Lincoln Middle School, our focus was preparing students for the high school. Now, as principal of the high school, I have the honor of ensuring that our students are ‘polished’ and prepared for any post-secondary opportunity they’d like to pursue.”

And Dr. Stuart is doing just that! Early on in his assignment, Dr. Stuart took a proposal to the Board of Education to eliminate the Valedictorian/Salutatorian designations for high school seniors and replace it with a Laude system.

Dr. Stuart feels that with a Laude system, “Students will be more focused on the educational value of their class selection allowing them to take a broader range of courses to balance and improve their high school experience rather than selecting a course for the potential of a weighted grade.” He continued by saying, “Without the pressure of class rank, students may be more likely to choose classes based on personal interest and career path, rather than primarily considering a course only for its weighted grade.”

It may seem that with all he has on his plate, he would have no time for himself, but families can often find Steve cycling the area bike trails, collecting game worn hockey jerseys or supporting his wife, Katie Stuart, State Representative.

Although a high school the size of EHS can generate challenges, Dr. Steve Stuart is not afraid to face them. He has the experience, the knowledge, the historical perspective, and a passion for Edwardsville High school that is unsurpassed.

More like this:

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Jan 19, 2024 - Edwardsville High Announces All-State Band, Orchestra, Choral Group

Dec 12, 2023 - 102 EHS Students Named Illinois State Scholars

Feb 27, 2024 - Edwardsville School District Announces Key Leadership Appointments at Lincoln Middle School and Edwardsville High School

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