Greg Reilly has been appointed and will take over as principal of the Wyoming Area Secondary Center in Exeter. From left, Wyoming Area board members Erica Gazda, Kirby Kunkle, Mara Valenti, Joe Kopko, Reilly, Dr. Jon Pollard, superintendent, Phil Campenni, Dave Alberigi, Michael Supey, Atty. Peter Butera. Absent: Michael Kachmarsky.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
EXETER — As the saying goes, “It’s good to come home.” For Greg Reilly, he’s back where he started his teaching career, but this time as an administrator at the Wyoming Area Secondary Center.
During the July board meeting, Reilly was appointed the new Secondary Center principal, replacing Eric Speece, who returned to Nanticoke Area.
Reilly began his career at Wyoming Area in 2003 in the music department before accepting a teaching job at his alma mater, Lake-Lehman, to rebuild the band program.
Eventually, Reilly took on a job at Dallas Area where he was the high school principal in April 2017.
With the exit of Speece, Reilly applied for the job being sworn in during the July board meeting.
“There was some intrigue on my part regarding an opportunity for a seven through 12 building that could really allow for student growth in spiraling curriculum,” Reilly said. “That was an exciting opportunity for me as a guy who is really based on data, student success and growth and curricular devices. I was excited for that so I figured it’s a good opportunity. You don’t pass by an open window without taking a look.”
Reilly said relying on data and stats to enhance student performance is the key to a successful educational program.
“I think I could come in to make big improvements over time,” Reilly said. “Getting a data program, using digitized testing much like the state of Pennsylvania is doing right now to start creating data profiles on our students and help guiding them in their successes and also their failures on what we need to improve upon, putting those systems in place here seven through 12 I think you make it a huge change to the culture of education in this building.”
Running a high school brings challenges such as discipline and order and Reilly feels with his background experience, it will make a difference.
“I think there are challenges in every location with every assignment, so having open communication and consistent accountability is that success and that’s one of the things will be putting in place here,” Reilly said.
Reilly went on to say he’s looking forward to working with Superintendent Pollard and the board of education in making a difference at the Secondary Center and the school district as a whole.
“We are pleased to have Mr. Riley rejoin our Warrior family and look forward to a great start to the new school year,” Wyoming Area Superintendent Dr. Jon Pollard, said. “Mr. Riley brings a tremendous amount of leadership experience that will help Wyoming Area continue its mission of growing our students to their full potential and becoming responsible members of the community.”
What will be different his second time around at Wyoming Area with all the experience he’s acquitted in his career?
“I love challenges. I love to change things up. I’m now an older educator and I’ve been around for a long time,” said Reilly. “I love the opportunity to really enact and change the system and build something and return Wyoming Area to where it really was academically when I was here in the early 2000s; we were one of the top schools in the region.”
