Maddex, Wilt to Step Down from Current Positions
By Marlana Smith and Troy Treasure
Shelby County R-IV Superintendent Tim Maddex announced Friday afternoon, January 2 he is resigning from his position as Superintendent.
Maddex has been Superintendent for six years. Before becoming Superintendent, he was Assistant Superintendent for one year. Maddex has been with the district for 18 years.
“I am ready to get back into the classroom. I’ve been having health issues and want to be at home with my family. I’m doing this for my family and health,” said Maddex.
The board met Thursday morning, January 2 and accepted the resignation of Maddex.
The board is searching for a Superintendent. It met Wednesday, January 8. The board is looking into firms that do searches for Superintendents.
“My experience as Superintendent has been amazing. I’ve got be a part of awesome things. The Ag shop, 1-on-1 chrome books and the new elementary school that benefits our students. I’ve enjoyed being a part of those things.
“I have the privilege of working with all the awesome staff members and teachers,” said Maddex.
Maddex said he isn’t sure what he will teach at this time, but thinks he may still have some administrative duties as well.
Maddex added, “I am ready to get back to the roots of why I got into education.”
Maddex’s official last day as Superintendent will be June 30, 2020.
Shelby County R-IV is also seeking a new varsity football coach.
Thirteen-year South Shelby head man Rob Wilt submitted his letter of resignation to the board Wednesday, January 8. Wilt made his decision public via Twitter the next day.
Wilt indicated his overall record at SS is 98-63. During his tenure, the Cardinals won one Clarence Cannon Conference championship, seven district titles and advanced to the 2011 Show-Me Bowl in St. Louis.
“I consider South Shelby a football school because of its long tradition of tough, hard-working kids that have come through this school well before I got here and has continued to this day, “ Wilt said. “That has made my job a lot easier over the past 13 years.
“I graduated from South Shelby so Cardinal red runs deep in my veins,” Wilt continued. “I love South Shelby and this community. I can’t imagine coaching anywhere else at this time in my career.”
Wilt was asked about staying competitive in the weekly knock-down drag-out journey that is Clarence Cannon Conference football.
“It has definitely gotten harder as the years have gone by,” Wilt said. “When I first got here, we finished in the upper to middle of the pack in the conference.
“Over the last several years, it has become much more of a challenge to even finish at the middle of the pack,” Wilt added. “I think it goes in cycles, but those cycles are slower for us when your numbers are the lowest in the conference.”
Wilt has fond memories of his Show-Me Bowl team because of the pathway required to get there.
“2011 stands out because most people believed the 2010 team was going to be heading to the state championship, but we ran into a very good Westran team that knocked us out,” Wilt said. “We lost a lot of very good seniors that year and 2011 was supposed to be a rebuilding year.
“But that team just kept getting better throughout the year,” he said. “Even with key injuries and with four freshman starters, they found themselves in the (Edward Jones) Dome after beating East Buchanan with a standing-room-only crowd on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.”
Wilt will be staying at Shelby County R-IV in teaching and possibly other coaching capacities. So, he will still be around … just not in the same role he enjoyed the last 13 years.
“The thing I will miss the most is the relationships I’ve built with my players over the years,” Wilt concluded. “I hope I’ve been a good role model for the kids, so I can be a little piece of these young men’s lives going forward.”
