A newly hired administrator was honored by Lindbergh Schools as he starts the school year as an assistant principal in the Mehlville School District.

The Mehlville Board of Education unanimously voted to hire then-Sperreng Middle School sixth-grade math and science teacher Bill Murphy as the assistant principal of Washington Middle School for the 2020-2021 school year.

Murphy began working for Mehlville when the school year turned over July 1. His salary is $88,000.

In Murphy’s previous position in Lindbergh Schools, he had been named Sperreng Teacher of the Year for the 2019-2020 school year. Due to COVID-19, recognitions by the Lindbergh Board of Education have been delayed, so the Lindbergh board honored Murphy and other Sperreng award winners at its meeting Tuesday.

Murphy was beaten out for Lindbergh Teacher of the Year by Crestwood Elementary’s Darrion Cockrell, who was announced last week as the Missouri Teacher of the Year.

“As a middle school math and science teacher, Mr. Murphy knows how to build relationships with students in order for each student to reach their full potential,” said Washington Middle Principal Kelly Roberts in a news release about Murphy’s hiring. Roberts is also new this year at Washington Middle. “He is student centered and will support our vision of giving students voice and choice in their learning. He brings a wealth of knowledge with integrating project-based learning in our classrooms. His expertise will help us to continue to grow personalized learning here at WMS and district-wide.” 

“I look forward to working with the talented, caring, forward-thinking team of educators at WMS and am eager to connect with the entire WMS community to support our students throughout middle school and prepare them for their future,” Murphy said in the release. “I am proud to continue and enhance the work in Mehlville School District as we design unique opportunities for our students.” 

Sperreng Middle School Principal Lauren Boeger told Lindbergh board members of Murphy, “Bill Murphy is now an assistant principal and no longer with us here in Lindbergh, but when he was he did amazing things for us. Bill is one of those people who just goes above and beyond, thinks creatively.”

At Sperreng, Murphy led the Technology Club and a Cubesat rocket project, Boeger noted.

Murphy said that as he was tuning into the videoconferenced meeting from his child’s soccer practice, he had just run into three of his former Lindbergh students from last year and noted “what providence” that coincidence was.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without you guys and your leadership and the opportunity that you offered me, and it’s definitely a big part of my life and there’ll be a little bit of green and gold in this blood for a long time to come,” Murphy said of his time at Sperreng, adding that he was “just very, very honored” to have received the award.

Boeger told Murphy, “Even though you’re in another district, the mission is still the same and we take care of kids together.”

The board honors the school award winners with a $25 gift certificate for Lindbergh spirit wear.

That may be unusual attire for a Mehlville administrator, but Lindbergh Superintendent Tony Lake told Murphy, “You said you were always going to have green and gold blood in your veins, so we’ll let you go ahead and keep getting some Lindbergh spirit wear.”

Murphy graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in education before earning a Master of Science in Education – Middle School Education and Master of Science in educational leadership and administration from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.