BENTON COUNTY — Inspiring students to do their best - leadership skills he learned as a coach and teacher - are the fortes that will help Jon Paul Laffoon in his role as the new principal of Pea Ridge High School.
Laffoon, 36, was hired by Pea Ridge School Board Monday night. Currently head boys basketball coach, golf coach and PE instructor at Riverview public schools in Searcy, he was dean of students at Star City from 2006 to 2010.
Laffoon had originally applied for the assistant principal position, but his qualitiesdrew the attention of Rick Neal and the committee leading them to consider him for the principalship.
Laffoon’s wife, Meghan, is originally from Fayetteville, and the couple is excited to be back up here in the area.
“I’m really excited to do it,” Laffoon said. “I had a great mentor there who prepared me for this ... he believed in me and gave me a chance ... allowed me to be successful.”
Current principal Rick Neal, who has been hired as the superintendent, expressed excitement about Laffoon.
“We interviewed eight assistant principals. Jon was one of the eight. If you look at Jon’s resume, he looks like a basketball coach,” Neal said, but said that the minute the committee interviewed him, all realized he was the perfect for the principal’s job.
“He blew us all away. He blew us totally away. He is very, very articulate. He gets it about kids,” Neal said. “I’m very happy with Jon. He’s a good fit for our building. He’s going to be outstanding.”
Laffoon began his teacher career as head boys basketball and golf coach at Episcopal Collegiate School in Little Rock in 2000, where taught health and PE and earth science. He taught and coached at Greenwood from 2003-2005, at Lonoke from 2005-2006, and Star City 2006-2010.
News, Pages 1 on 04/11/2012