McCoy named new superintendent for Nevada School District

By Staff, 11/3/20 9:48 AM

ROSSTON – As of July 1, 2021, the Nevada School District, for the first time in 30 years, will have a new superintendent.

During its October meeting, the Nevada School Board voted to hire Roy McCoy to replace Rick McAfee, who’s been superintendent the last three decades. McAfee has been with the district since its inception and was its second superintendent. McCoy will be the third.

Currently, McCoy is the principal at Atkins High School, where he’s been the last three years. He will bringing his wife, Wendy, and three children, Jerry, nine, Christopher, eight, and Andrew, four, with him to Rosston.

McCoy graduated from Louisiana Tech in 1990 with a Bachelor’s in Education and earned his MA from here in 1994. He spent 27 years working in the Louisiana school system before retiring for a year to work in private business. However, his heart is in education and he returned, taking the Atkins job.

McCoy, 51, said  he loves being in Arkansas and looks forward to this next chapter in his life. The move to Rosston is something the family is looking forward to as it brings them closer to his wife’s family in Louisiana. In fact, they’ll be less than an hour away.

“I’m excited about coming to Nevada,” he said. “It’s a great district, had great leadership and has been successful. I look forward to building on McAfee’s success.” He said Nevada is something of a rarity for keeping the same superintendent for 30 years, adding this shows they were doing something right to remain for so long.

When asked about coming to a small district, McCoy said he prefers them. “I’m a small school type fella. I like the family atmosphere there and I’m in my element.”

In talking about the move, he said it’s perfect for his family and the children’s grandparents are excited they’ll be so close. “I’m close to my wife’s family,” he said. “Mine is mostly gone, though I have a brother 16 years older than me. We both grew up as only children. This brings my family together.

“It’s been wonderful at Atkins, it’s a great school and I enjoyed living in the mountains, but when the opportunity to get close to home came up, I couldn’t pass it up.”

Wendy is a former teacher, who’s been a stay-at-home mom the last eight years. Initially, she’ll be a full-time mother when the family moves to Rosston, but could, eventually, return to the classroom where she taught second grade and middle school technology.

McCoy has some interesting hobbies, such as a small collection of antique cars he enjoys driving, and is a music lover with a collection of old records and antique juke boxes. He also enjoys fishing and hopes to have time to pursue this while in Rosston.

As far as his plans for the NSD, he said, “The Nevada School District has done well. I have no plans to change anything. I feel I need to come in and build on what McAfee’s done. He’s got the ship going in the right direction.