Meadow Heights school superintendent retires

PATTON, Mo. -- Meadow Heights School District superintendent Rob Huff will retire after the end of this school year. Taking his place will be Andrew Comstock, currently assistant superintendent of the Sikeston School District.

Huff, 52, has been superintendent at Meadow Heights for the past six years. He said he will leave his position with a sense of satisfaction at having accomplished the goals he set when he was hired. He'll miss Meadow Heights, and mostly he'll miss the people, Huff said.

"The students, staff, parents -- it's all been a very supportive community," Huff said. "We have accomplished an awful lot and that only happens with a lot of people working together."

One of the most recent accomplishments noted at Meadow Heights was the district's performance award for test data.

"We've done very well in that area for the last several years," he said. "Financially, in some of the toughest financial times in public education, we have done well with retaining balances, and have increased the last couple of years by a little bit."

Huff is also the former chief financial officer of the Cape Girardeau School District.

During Huff's administration and despite a lagging economy, Meadow Heights has completed some renovation and construction projects.

"That's something I think the community should be proud of," he said. "We can raise student test scores, improve facilities and have money in the bank in a tough climate. I think we've really made some big steps."

Huff acknowledges that the staff and faculty of Meadow Heights have not had a raise in the last several years, and there remains room to improve. But if one thing stands out in Huff's mind that he will take with him, it's the change in attitude he has seen in students and the community toward college, trade school and employment.

"Expectations have gone up," he said. "My main goal going in, and what I'm most proud of, was that most students have expectations of going forward. I see more and more students going to college, and the younger students look at that and think 'I can do that too.' I think that's the most important, that we raised the bar on expectations and possibilities."

Pertinent address:

Patton, MO