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Published: April 11, 2007
By Wesley Hester

When we broke the news in last week’s Gazette that Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Morgan was considering leaving his post in Goochland things happened very quickly.

The day after we went to press Morgan had his final interview for the position of Superintendent in Kershaw County, S.C., and he was offered and accepted the job later that day.

We updated our Web site that night with the news and people were reading, and they were concerned and sad and confused, and more than a few were miffed. All seemed understandable reactions—Dr. Frank Morgan has almost become a household name in Goochland County, especially for those with children.

As I walked the halls of a county school the following day one teacher summed up the sentiments of many, asking, “What are we going to do now?”

To say Morgan has been good for the school system in his five years here doesn’t quite cover it. As one school board member said, Morgan has taken Goochland schools to another level — one that hadn’t previously even seemed realistic or attainable. It has truly become one of the best and most innovative districts in the state and beyond. That’s all the more impressive considering its size as one of the smallest in the area. 

Goochland schools were already improving when Morgan took the reins, but his efforts and tenacity were immediately evident and in his half-decade here Morgan has become an asset the county will sorely miss. As the schools’ captain he managed to masterfully navigate the way through some choppy seas, showing fiscal responsibility while providing for the needs of the students and beyond.

It seems fitting that at the end of the voyage the middle school/high school complex will be complete and Goochland’s school system is in the best shape it’s ever been in, with an accreditation report that proves its status as one of the best in Virginia. 

When I began working at the Gazette some four years ago I started by covering education and have continued to follow the local school system’s evolution. Morgan was one of the first people I came into contact with and I can honestly say that the devotion he has shown to this community and its students has been one of the things that has impressed me most about this wonderful county.

On top of raising test scores, advancing technology and improving personnel management, Morgan has spent countless hours attending school fairs and outings, checking in on classrooms and projects, attending sporting events and community functions, and speaking to the public at forums. He has also used this page on many an occasion to reach the public and explain his goals and objectives to the taxpayers, and that’s to be commended as well. 

In short, Morgan has put his heart into Goochland County and its schools and the payoff has been enormous. I hope people will not lose sight of that because he has decided to move on.

He took a job in a larger school district — about five times the size of Goochland’s — and naturally, it will be a step up in terms of compensation. But that’s how the world works. He’s not abandoning Goochland, he’s furthering his career and making a decision for his family — Morgan’s son is a college student in South Carolina and his parents recently retired nearby. 

Goochland can and should be thankful for the fact that with the help of the School Board, the supervisors, and the county, Morgan has Goochland Schools on the right track going forward and the future looks bright. 

—Wesley Hester

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