SMITHFIELD -- In 1983, David Ross Renfrow graduated from North Johnston High School in Kenly. Nearly 20 years later, Renfrow returned as principal.
Now, he will move to district administration ahead of taking over the role of deputy superintendent. The way Renfrow sees it, it's time to truly give back to the school system that raised him.
After opening Corinth Holders High School as its inaugural principal in the fall of 2010, Renfrow was prepared to continue moving onward and upwards as an administrator.
The Johnston County Board of Education on Jan. 10, approved Renfrow's promotion to executive director for administrative services to begin March 1. The role will prepare him to eventually fill the shoes of soon-to-retire Deputy Superintendent Shelly Marsh.
"I'm so thrilled to think that (Superintendent Ed Croom) and the board think I'd be a good addition to his cabinet," Renfrow said.
Around the same time he was appointed to open Corinth Holders, Renfrow began talking with Croom about his interest in moving into administration should any positions become available.
Welcome news
The promotion is welcome good news after more than a year of the Renfrow family struggling while Ross Renfrow's wife, Amy Renfrow, battled cancer. Just six weeks ago, she passed away at UNC Hospitals.
When he received the promotion phone call from Croom the evening of January 10, he called his three children in for a family meeting.
"I said, 'We need to have a family meeting,' and everyone said, 'What's wrong?' I said, "No, I hope it's good news.' When I told them they were very excited."
Renfrow said he wished his wife, the former principal at Corinth Holders Elementary - where their 7-year-old attends first grade - could have lived to see his accomplishment.
"If it had been six weeks earlier, that would have been very special for her to know it," Renfrow said. "But I know she's in heaven today. She's my angel and I know she's excited."
While Renfrow was going to school for his educational doctorate at East Carolina University he said his wife was always supportive in the face of long hours and the added stress.
"This is something that Amy wanted to see happen," Renfrow said. "You know, I drag in at 9:30, 10 o'clock from doctoral class, and she was always there with a smile, asking, 'how was class?'"
Graduate school was put on hold when Amy Renfrow's cancer came back, but Ross Renfrow said he plans to finish his dissertation on forming a new school's culture and sense of community as soon as things settle down again.
Even when Renfrow and his wife were both teaching at Princeton High School in the '90s - Renfrow was living his first career dream of teaching U.S. history and being the head football coach - it was clear that the couple had plans to go into administration.
"Somewhere during that journey, I wanted to serve at a greater capacity, and the next level involves that," Renfrow explained. "Rather than just serving one school, I'll serve a whole system of schools. You can have a greater impact - a positive impact on learning everyday."
Leaving Corinth Holders
After more than two years at Corinth Holders, Renfrow said it will be hard to leave the high school environment that he's come to love.
"I really think we have started something very special at Corinth Holders High School," Renfrow said.
The school is still too young to have a senior class, and Renfrow won't be there next year to see the freshman class he started out with walk across the stage.
"Not being able to hand that group their diplomas next year tugs at your heart," he said. Leaving the teachers he hired and watched grow in their roles will also be hard for him.
"I really enjoy the high school environment," he explained. "It's a challenging job, but it's a very rewarding job to see students grow and mature and be successful. So not being in touch with that on a day-to-day basis is very, very bittersweet."
Set to start his new job March 1, the district has not yet named Renfrow's successor.
"I'm a firm believer that you leave things in better shape than you find them," he said of his eventual successor. "The last thing I would want would be for whoever comes in as my replacement to have any kind of mess to clean up."
Plans for the new job
Renfrow will be working on the district-wide reassignment plan alongside Marsh. He'll also be shadowing Marsh at the close of the school year and at the start of the 2012-2013 school year in order to gain experience in how the district closes and opens.
Marsh is set to retire before the end of the 2012 calendar year.
But Renfrow said he hopes he won't be finished with his climb up the Johnston County Schools ladder with the role of deputy superintendent.
"I think we all have an inner make up, and some people are content with being a teammate, but I aspire to be a superintendent one day," he said. "But as long as (Croom) wants to be superintendent, I want to be right there and be his right-hand man."
Although he understands why some would find it crazy to want the stress of the school district's top job, he said growing up working the family farm was much harder.
"Other people say you couldn't pay me enough money to deal with the headaches, and it is a very challenging job," Renfrow admits. His childhood farm off of N.C. 42 toward N.C. 39 intersection grew tobacco, sweet potatoes and raised chickens. His parents, JZ and Pat Renfrow, still own the land that kept him from sleeping in on weekends and going on vacation as a school boy.
"As challenging as my job is today, you know, I know I'm not in a tobacco field and I'm thankful for that," Renfrow said. "It's hard work, but I've done hard work in the past."
Renfrow said his plan as a district administrator will be about service - doing all he can to make sure that teachers, students and parents are successful and satisfied with the schools.
"I think we (Johnston County) really embrace the idea of servant leadership. They're going to be principals and teachers and parents and students that I hope I can serve in a greater capacity in this role," he said.
And the goal of being superintendent of the very school system that he graduated from?
"I am a product of Johnston County Schools. I had some great teachers, so a big part of this is about giving back to the county and the communities," he said. "Because I wouldn't be where I am today had it not been for some tremendous role models during those formative years."
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