Jason Hay was born into a family of educators. Early on, he knew it would be his calling.
Hay, 41, is the new principal at Bryant Middle School. He started his teaching career at Bryant following graduation from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway in December 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in special education and a minor in physical education. Hay replaces Todd Sellers, who was promoted to deputy superintendent.
“My whole family is full of educators,” Hay said. “My mom, Gloria Ferguson, was a third-grade teacher. So I grew up in a school. At the time, I really didn’t understand why, but I saw how hard she worked. We would stay up there after school late. She’d be up there on weekends. She really put in a lot of time and effort, buying school supplies for kids. I really didn’t get that until I got older. I saw how much she cared about the kids. I think that left an impression on me.”
Hay graduated from Conway High School in 1994, then went to UCA. He played football in high school for the Wampus Cats and fell in love with the sport.
“Playing ball and being around coaches … when I was playing ball, I said I wanted to be a coach,” Hay said. “Just coming from that family background of educators, that is what I wanted to be. It was my calling.
“When it’s in your blood, it’s just what you do.”
Hay said that when he was graduating from UCA, he was asked by Ken Vaughn, who worked as the director of the Office of Candidate Services, if he had a job after graduation. Hay said Vaughn made a call and helped get him a job at the Bryant Public Schools, teaching special education.
While Bryant didn’t have a coaching position open, Hay said, he talked to football coaches Paul Calley and Daryl Patton about volunteering with the team. Prior to the start of the 2000-01 school year, Hay was hired as a junior high football assistant coach.
During his coaching career, Hay was a junior high assistant and head junior high football coach, then became an assistant for Calley on the high school staff. Hay also coached boys soccer for a number of years before getting into administration.
“I had gotten my master’s degree, and I had been coaching at the high school level for six years, going straight from football to soccer,” Hay said. “We got beat in the state semifinals in soccer in 2013. I was on the bus on the way home. I just started thinking about it. I think it was time for me to go where I could have a little bit bigger impact on more than just the football and soccer players. I never planned on getting out.”
That day was a Saturday. The following Monday, he received a districtwide email announcing there was an opening for an elementary school assistant principal.
“I took that as a sign that it was what I needed to do,” he said.
Hay was hired as assistant principal at Hurricane Creek Elementary School, working for Principal Tammie Reitenger.
“Mrs. Reitenger gave me a chance,” Hay said. “Being a high school coach, elementary people are tough. Those people work really hard. I’m really appreciative of her for giving me a chance when she didn’t have to.”
Hay stayed two years at Hurricane Creek before becoming an assistant principal at Bethel
Middle School, working for Principal Chris Gabe.
Hay worked at Bethel for two years before being hired at Bryant Middle School.
“When I saw that job opportunity come open, I knew I had to take that chance,” he said. “I’m excited to come over here and work with these great teachers and kids and to be at a good school.”
Hay said the school will continue some of the programs that were started by assistant principals Clint Shadwick and Lesa Lindberg before Hay was hired.
“They already had a plan rolling from last year,” Hay said. “We’re going to be doing a book study during the course of the year. We’re going to try to be a little more proactive with our discipline on the front end. We’ve got some things in the works.”
Hay said he’s excited to be back on the main campus of the Bryant Schools. Bryant Middle School is located next to Bryant’s football stadium.
“I’m back on the main campus, and I’m just looking forward to getting school started,” he said in the week before classes began.
New Bryant superintendent Karen Walters said Hay is “a great hire.”
“I’ve never seen a work ethic like he has,” Walters said. “No one is ever going to outwork Mr. Hay. He just has a heart for kids.
“We’ve very excited about what he is going to bring to the table to help Bryant Middle School get to the next level.”
After earning his master’s degree from UCA, Hay earned a specialist’s degree from Arkansas State University-Jonesboro.
Hay said he could see himself being a superintendent at some point in the future.
“I really like being around the kids,” he said. “That is the thing that would be hardest about being at the central office. You’re not getting to see the kids as much, but that is definitely a goal down the road.”
After getting into administration, Hay said he does miss coaching.
“Anybody who has ever coached misses it,” he said. “You miss being with your team, the Friday-night lights, being with your kids and winning a game.
“However, I just felt like my time had passed, and my calling needed to be to move into administration. I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss coaching. It’s a young man’s game, and I’m where I need to be.”
Hay and his wife, Kelly, who is an occupational therapist, have two sons: Jackson, a seventh-grader, and Spencer, a fifth-grader.
Staff writer Mark Buffalo can be reached at (501) 399-3676 or mbuffalo@arkansasonline.com.