After nearly 20 years on the Surry County Board of Education — which followed a three-decade career as a fulltime educator — S. Earlie Coe has resigned from the county school board.
Coe’s resignation became effective Nov. 1.
“Over his 19 years of service, Mr. Coe was instrumental in developing many new initiatives that sought to improve the overall education and the lives of students in the Surry County School system,” the school system said Friday in a written statement. “His inspiring leadership and friendship will not only leave a lasting impression on those he worked with directly, but a permanent legacy in the community.”
“While his vision and passion for the children he served will be sorely missed, we wish him the best of luck in his new endeavors,” said Board Chair Dr. Terri Mosley. “I want to personally thank him for his outstanding work and the great things he accomplished.”
A Surry County, Coe graduated from Surry Central High School and attended Appalachian State University. Shortly after graduating, Coe accepted the position of teacher in Surry County Schools in September of 1970. That move began what has turned into a nearly 50-year career as an educator.
In December 1999 he officially retired as a professional educator from the county school system. Less than three years later, in September of 2002, he was elected to the Board of Education. The following year he was chosen by his fellow board members as chairman, a seat he held for 13 years.
Under his guidance as chairman, the school system built two additional schools: Pilot Mountain Middle School and Rockford Elementary School.
“Mr. Coe always pushed for initiatives that would improve school facilities and meet the educational needs of students,” the school system said in its statement Friday. “In 2014, he headed efforts to conduct a facility study with the goal of assessing all schools in the district and estimating the overall cost of improvements. Once the assessment was finished, renovation efforts began on three elementary schools in need: Dobson Elementary, Franklin Elementary, and Mountain Park Elementary.”
Those renovations are complete.
Coe also assisted the district in securing properties that connected to East Surry High School and Surry Central High School for high school expansion projects.
“Mr. Coe always advocated for innovative programs, like computer science or virtual education platforms, and strived to guide Surry County Schools with a progressive mindset,” the school system statement said. “He was a champion for 1-to-1 computer usage for students and making sure that every student in the district had access to a computer. While Mr. Coe served on the board, the district hit the highest graduation rate in Surry County Schools’ history at 93.8% in 2020.”
“Please know that I have thoroughly appreciated and enjoyed the opportunity to serve the students of Surry County,” Coe said. “I am proud of our collective achievements as a board and look forward to seeing the great things the system will do in order to best serve the needs of our school communities. I feel lucky to have volunteered alongside some of the best educators in the state.”
“The other board members and I cannot thank Mr. Coe enough for the dedication, passion, enthusiasm, and motivation that he has given our school system for the past nineteen years,” said Dr. Travis Reeves, school system superintendent. “He was instrumental in implementing many of the programs that help define the school district. We will miss him, but he will also be greatly missed by the students, staff, volunteers, and community members alike. Not only is Mr. Coe respected in Surry County, but also highly regarded across the state. We are excited for him as he moves forward with the next chapter of his life.”
In announcing Coe’s resignation, the school system did not say why Coe was leaving the post. Phone calls to both the school system and Coe seeking additional information were not returned.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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