Lexington One Educational Foundation Announces 2024 Administrator of the Year
Dr. Bill Coon Honored for Dedication to Students and Education
Lexington, South Carolina – April 15, 2024
The Lexington One Educational Foundation bestowed the 2024 Joseph M. Bedenbaugh Administrator of the Year Award to Dr. William “Bill” Coon in a heartwarming assembly at the Lexington County School District One Board of Trustees meeting on May 14, 2024.
Founded in 2005, this prestigious award acknowledges exceptional administrators within the district. Furthermore, it serves as a tribute to Mr. Joseph M. Bedenbaugh, a revered member of the original Lexington District One staff of 1952, who contributed vastly to the district for 36 years.
A Lifetime Dedicated to Education
As an educator for 38 years and founding principal of Meadow Glen Middle School since 2011, Dr. Coon is a pillar of the community with a deep commitment to academic excellence. He commenced his educational journey at Alice Drive Middle School in Sumter, SC, as a social studies teacher, subsequently advancing to the principal’s role. In 2005, Dr. Coon graced Lexington District One as the founding principal of Pleasant Hill Middle School. In 2011, he was entrusted with inaugurating Meadow Glen Middle School.
A nominating team composed of four Lexington One administrators advanced Dr. Coon for this esteemed accolade, commending him as a “visionary leader.”
Criteria of Leadership
Candidates for the Bedenbaugh Administrator of the Year Award are appraised based on 23 leadership criteria. Staff and students alike are effusive in their praise of Dr. Coon. From his leadership brimming with empathy to his unique approach to motivate learners, the candid reviews are the testament of an inspiring mentor. As one teacher noted, “Not a day has gone by where he hasn’t smiled at me and told me that it was going to be a good day.”
Awards and Accolades
In addition to his latest accolade, Dr. Coon has been celebrated with the 2016 NASSP State Principal of the Year and a two-time nominee for the national Silverberg Award. Both Meadow Glen Middle School and Pleasant Hill Middle School have garnered multiple Palmetto Gold and Silver awards under his efficient leadership.
Meadow Glen Middle School was named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, a National Mentor School, a National Credentialed and National Site Seminar School, and, most recently, a 2024 Palmetto’s Finest School. Despite all these accolades, those who work with him assert that Dr. Coon is first and foremost, an empathetic and compassionate leader whose philosophy is, “Take care of yourself and take care of each other.”
The ceremony was attended by Dr. Coon’s family and many members of the Meadow Glen Middle School. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the world of academia, the Lexington One Educational Foundation is proud to declare Dr. Bill Coon as the 2024 Administrator of the Year in Lexington District One.
