SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Longtime South Charleston High Principal Mike Arbogast is just a few weeks from retirement.
Arbogast, 55, recently decided to leave the county school system that he’s been part of for more than 30 years. He’s been the principal at SC since 2007.
“I have loved it. I have lived a dream,” Arbogast said. “It’s something I’ve looked forward to every day. I’m walking out on my own terms. I’m not in the midst of any controversy. I’m not being pushed out the door.”
Arbogast began his teaching and coaching career at Dunbar Junior High. His association with South Charleston High School began as an assistant boys basketball coach. He then became a teacher at SCHS and later an assistant principal under former Principal Bill Walton.
“I’m looking forward to some new opportunities,” Arbogast said. “It was a tough decision to make.”
Arbogast calls himself lucky to have been able to establish a good rapport with the majority of kids he’s had the opportunity to work with.
“I’d like to think that maybe I’ve had some positive influence in a child’s life and they’ve gone on to greater heights,” he said.
South Charleston High has an International Baccalaureate Program and an Engineering Academy.
“They’ve really taken off,” Arbogast said. “The partnership we’ve been able to develop with West Virginia State University where we’ve been able to provide 12 college classes on campus for juniors and seniors have the opportunity to take, giving our kids a jumpstart.”
Arbogast said he would match his school’s teachers with any in America.
“They are sharing ideas and best practices with each other and I think it’s enabled our school to go to the next level. Our graduation rate is up and our test scores are good,” Arbogast said.
He plans on taking a “deep breath” before deciding which opportunity he’ll take advantage of to begin the next chapter of his life. Arbogast does plan to stay a member of the Secondary Schools Activities Commission Board for the next year.
Kanawha County School Superintendent Ron Duerring will recommend Arbogast’s replacement in an upcoming county school board meeting. Several applicants have been interviewed and reports indicate George Washington High Assistant Principal Jim Crawford has the inside track.
The last day of school for students in Kanawha County is this Friday, June 1. Teachers are scheduled to work until June 11.