In year 15 of the school being open, there are 15 original staff members left. Counselor James McNeely is one of the last 15.
Staley Original: James McNeely
15 Original Staff Members Left In School's 15th Year
Counselor James McNeely has supported students throughout his time at the school. McNeely was the School Resource Specialist for the first three years and has been a counselor for 12.
For McNeely, the most rewarding part of his role was seeing the achievements of students.
“I like seeing our students be successful,” McNeely said. “That’s really rewarding, and I like the fact that I played a role in that.”
McNeely was particularly proud of the fact that since the school opened, the graduation rate has consistently been between 98 and 99%.
“I’ve seen a lot of kids come through here and go to college,” McNeely said. “I like walking down the hallway and seeing those graduation pictures that are up in the hallway.”
Reflecting on his time at the school, McNeely said his favorite memory was the LipDub STTV produced in 2012.
“The LipDub was a blast,” McNeely said. “The kids and staff, everybody had a good time doing that. Everybody participated, and that was really cool.”