When school begins again in August, Carroll County High School will be under new management.

Principal Robbie Patton is stepping down effective July 1 to take over as Principal at Scott Memorial Middle School in Wytheville. Also on July 1, Assistant Principal William Austin will be leaving to become Principal of Appalachia High School in Wise County.

Patton said the decision to leave Carroll County High School, where he served as either Principal or Assistant Principal since 1999, wasn’t a choice he made lightly.

“It is with mixed emotions that I announce my departure from the leadership team at Carroll County High School,” Patton said in a press release. “I will be pursuing an opportunity at a middle school in Wythe County. After much thought and consideration, I have decided to make this move in the best interest of my family and my career.”

Patton credited the faculty, staff, students and parents at Carroll County High School for making the school what it is.

“We have progressed and improved in our service to our students and community during this time and the credit goes to the hard work and dedication of our students and those who work to help them,” Patton said. “A school is the people and the relationships that are built therein. Effective schools have the support of the parents, students and the community. All of you care about our Cavaliers and committed yourselves to CCHS. CCHS is a great school in many ways. It is a special place and all of you are wonderful people.”

Patton said he is pleased with his tenure as an administrator at the high school and he owes a lot of the successes realized to the community.

“I viewed my time at CCHS as a test of a type of ideal in which a community of learners can come together with the common goal of teaching and learning with care,” Patton said. “For the most part, the ideal was achieved on a regular basis due in part to the community’s acceptance of this idea. Thank you for your willingness to share in the leadership of your school.”

Patton said he’s thankful for his time working in Carroll County, and that it’s important for everybody to embrace the situation as a new opportunity and to grow as a result.

“As a Cavalier it is time for me to move on to new challenges,” Patton said. “I challenge every Cavalier to respond to new leadership in a positive and productive manner. Change can be invigorating if approached in the proper manner. This is a difficult and emotional time for me. Nevertheless, the time is now and we will move forward in the hopes of making the schools better. I cannot express the gratitude and love that I have for all Cavaliers other than to say thanks. Carroll is a great community with which to collaborate. May you all be blessed. Go Cavs!”

Austin said he enjoyed working with Patton and learned much during their time on the administrative staff at CCHS.

“It’s been a tremendous honor working with him,” Austin said. “I’ve learned a great deal working with him the last seven years.”

He said the opportunity to become a principal near his hometown — Castlewood and Appalachia are about 45 minutes apart — was too good to pass by.

“We still have family that lives there,” Austin said. “My mom lives in Castlewood and my wife’s family lives in Castlewood. I have a brother in Norton. It’s a two and a half hour trip to go see them, so it’s going to put us back a little closer.”

Like Patton, Austin said his experiences in Carroll County were wonderful and he will always remember the people in the area.

“From the standpoint of Carroll, there are unbelievable students,” Austin said. “The community here at Carroll is so much like I came from. You have caring individuals. The faculty and staff at Carroll County is one of the best in the state of Virginia. I’m going to miss the people here. I can’t say enough about the people of Carroll County. It’s a great place to raise a family and a great place to have students in school.”

Carroll County Director of Personnel Dr. Kevin Harris said the search for replacements is ongoing and a few candidates for principal have already been interviewed.

Harris said it’s possible recommendations could be made by the June 26 meeting of the Carroll County School Board, and if not then, by the July 14 meeting.

“The interview committee will recommend two or three people to (Superintendent) Dr. (Greg) Smith to consider,” Harris said. “He will conduct his own interview and make his own recommendation to the School Board from there.”