Triad High School’s first female principal prepares for retirement

Kelli Barbour’s final day at THS will be June 30

By Charles Bolinger

Editor • Surrounded by momentos, photos, plants, and of course, a knight, Kelli Barbour’s office is inviting and comfortable, not stark and spartan like some administrator offices of yore.

While Barbour has been a Triad High School employee since 1994, she has been Triad High’s building principal since 2021 and she is the district’s first female principal at THS. Retirement looms; her last day on campus will be June 30.

Barbour said she started as a history teacher along with being a girls’ basketball, softball and tennis coach. 

After she started a family, she said she shifted away from coaching to lead the school’s student council, Model United Nations program and Ethics Bowl for several years. 

“I think for so many years of teaching, my greatest accomplishment is instilling the importance of service, getting involved and giving back to the community because that’s so important and that’s what we did a lot of. Also, leadership and how important that is; that’s what those groups were all about.”

These lessons applied to her history classes, Model U.N. and student council

In her history classes, she said she wanted her students to know and appreciate the past, how important it is and how it connects to today.

“You really can’t understand what is happening in the world today if you don’t understand the past,” she said.

She said seeing former students become involved in politics, the law, the Peace Corps; she said loves to see them flourish, giving back and helping the world become a little bit better in any way they can.

“For my principal position, I think just realizing the school is such a community of everyone working together,” she said. “There are so many facets working together – students, teachers, aides, secretaries, custodians, coaches – it’s just such a big community to create a very successful school.”

She said she has always tried to promote kindness as well as working collaboratively and collectively.

“If you build this culture of kindness, the hope is everybody will work together and accomplish so much and be so successful because they are kind. Then, you don’t have the discipline problems, the ‘I don’t wanna be here’ or anything negative.”

Barbour said her greatest challenge was going from being a classroom teacher to being principal of the entire school.

“It was a huge learning curve,” she recalled. “I came in during COVID-19, so it was dealing with those challenges on top of trying to learn this principalship and what to do.”

Evaluations were another big piece for her; dealing with finances, keeping morale up coming out of the pandemic, focusing on school attendance and getting students to return in person. 

“I [didn’t have the luxury of being] the assistant principal before I became the principal,” she said. “It was diving head first in and trying to learn everything very quickly. I think what helped the most is I had an incredible support system with the administrative team here at the high school and at the central office.”

Her retirement represented a wake-up call and news to some of her students. 

“Some of them were like, ‘Whoa! Wait! Where are you going? What are you doing?’ They think that teachers and principals are here forever. I think they’ve realized that it’s time to move on and the next person steps in and obviously it’s Mr. Ackerman and they all know him so that helps with the transition.”

Her impending successor had the following comments about Barbour.

“Kelli is an incredibly supportive, thoughtful, and caring leader,” said Joshua Ackerman, her current assistant principal. “She has a unique way of making Triad High School a fun, welcoming environment for both students and staff. Her impact on our district is profound and while she will be greatly missed, her legacy here is lasting.”

She said she will miss her colleagues and the friendships she’s made, in some cases that go back for decades. She said she will miss the students at the school, too. 

“Stepping away from all of that all of a sudden; shutting off from having the staff, the students and the friendships coming to end is what I’m kind of dreading the most. Then, it’s ‘What do you do? This is what you’ve done every day and now you’re not. I’m going to miss it.”

The district’s superintendent and associate superintendent, reacted to Barbour’s tenure at THS.

“Mrs. Barbour has been a model of excellence at Triad for over 30 years,” said Dr. Jason Henderson. “During her time in the classroom, she served as an outstanding teacher, coach, social studies department chair, as well as a Model UN and Student Council sponsor. Her work in the classroom positively impacted countless students.

“It will feel strange to begin next school year without Mrs. Barbour at Triad High School,” he continued. “The entire Triad District wishes her a happy, healthy and well-deserved retirement.”

Dr. Rodney Winslow, agreed.

“Mrs. Barbour has been an outstanding principal at Triad High School,” he said. “One of her many strengths is her relentless focus on building a positive school culture. Her passion for celebrating the accomplishments of students and staff has been exemplary. She has had a wonderful career as a teacher and leader.”

The pandemic changed so much since she started five years ago, both within the school and outside of it, she said. She said she had some kids who wanted to stay home to learn but humans are social creatures, she said, so it’s better to attend school in person to learn.

She said the social-emotional changes that stemmed from the pandemic as well as how social media has altered so many landscapes are two more big changes since 2021. 

“During my first year, 2021-2022, we had to have Homecoming outside because [we had to be six feet apart]; that was crazy. And everyone had to prove they had had a COVID test before they could come to the dance, which was also crazy to think about.

“Finally, I feel like we are back to the normal ‘what high school is all about’ and everybody’s here and engaged and part of everything.”

Curriculum has not changed much in the past five years but technology keeps changing, including artificial intelligence (AI). 

“Who would have thought, just five years ago, where we are with technology and I can’t imagine in just another few years where we’re gonna be with technology; it’s so ever-changing.”

Another change is the bond issue construction work that has started in the rear of the school.

“The fact that we’re adding an auditorium is unbelievable. It’s going to add so much to our fine arts program and it’s going to be a refreshing change to use that for so many purposes.”

She said the new multi-purpose room will benefit the school’s dance and cheer students as providing them a proper place to practice. Adding four new classrooms [for career and technical education] will be another benefit.”

After she retires, Barbour said she plans to relax in the short-term and see what comes her way. “I’ve always traveled; I love to travel,” she said. She said she has two major trips planned for July and September.

“Beyond that, I think I would still like to be involved in education but maybe even educational travel; somehow bringing those together and continuing to show the world to students.”

Ackerman starts his tenure as Triad High School’s next principal on July 1.