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Leading by example
South Lakes High School has weathered a storm on two fronts in the past year, with the controversial western county boundary study that would infuse hundreds of students into the under-enrolled school and an ongoing renovation that has brought physical disruption within the building.
At the helm is Bruce Butler, in his 10th year at the school and only his third year as principal. In those three years he has met roadblocks and challenges deftly and with an aplomb that has earned him the admiration and gratitude of the Reston community at large.
For the example he has set for Reston's youth, parents and community, The Times has selected Bruce Butler as the 2007 Citizen of the Year.
Parents, students and faculty speak of a humble, forthright man whose chief strength is his ability to communicate his vision for the school. Having made clear his goals, his decisions are made only after he has sought the input of those affected, including students.
“It's more like a partnership,” said SGA President Amy Girardi, 18, of the relationship between Butler and the students. “He builds such a connection with the students, it's brilliant.”
His partnerships with South Lakes parents prompted Cathy Alifrangis, whose daughter graduated in 2007, to nominate him for the Nancy F. Sprague First-Year Administrator Award, which he received.
“He's had a vision for the school, and every decision he's made has filtered through that vision he's had and what's good for the kids,” Alifrangis said.
Butler, 49, is a Fairfax County native and remembers driving his grandmother's tractor on a “more rural” Hunter Mill Road. After graduating from Shippensburg University, Butler began his career 27 years ago as an earth science teacher at Herndon High School.
He currently lives in Loudoun County with his wife, Ellen, and his son, a junior at Park View High School. His daughter is a sophomore at Christopher Newport University.
Butler had no aspirations for administration until the day then-principal of Herndon Murriel Price walked into his classroom and told Butler to think about becoming an administrator.
“The power of a phrase can really resonate and impact people's lives,” Butler said he learned that day. With being a leader comes “the responsibility to understand the impact of what we say.”
That influence has come full circle, as others now count Butler as a mentor.
Aimee Monticchio is in her first year as principal of Langston Hughes Middle School, after four years as an assistant principal at South Lakes. Butler continues to be a mentor and model for Monticchio.
“He has made a big impact on me and my style,” she said. “I continue to consult him on difficult situations I haven't navigated yet, and know he's going to have a great response to it.”
The PTSA President of a year, Elizabeth Vandenburg, wasn't sure she wanted the responsibility that comes with the volunteer position but was swayed by Butler's example.
“I wanted to work with Bruce, I felt I had a lot to learn from somebody who's turning the school around,” she said.
Part of that lesson has been to maintain a clearheadedness amid the stresses of the job.
“I've learned to not overreact, to not respond to every e-mail, just to keep the whole purpose, which is to do what's best for the children,” she said.
Butler is the second oldest of six children, three boys and three girls. Younger brother Larry Butler has worked at the Reston Association for over 25 years. Larry Butler said his brother has always had a knack for leading others.
“If our dad would ask us to rake the leaves, Bruce would be the first to try to orchestrate the other boys to do it,” Larry said.
Larry Butler joined his brother on stage at a South Lakes talent show for a surprise that got a rousing applause, with Bruce playing the lead on electric guitar.
Aside from his musical abilities and a lifelong passion for basketball, Larry Butler said his brother is an avid fly-fisherman.
“If it's sixty five degrees or more and you can't find Bruce, he's probably fishing,” he said.
Butler has become the unintentional champion of the high school during the western county boundary study. South Lakes will have a capacity of 2,100 when renovations are finished in the fall, and redistricting would address the current population imbalance.
Butler remains dedicated to putting all his time and energy into South Lakes rather than answering criticisms about a school he doesn't believe needs defending. The best ambassadors for the school have been the students, he said.
“The fact that he can trust students to represent South Lakes says a lot,” Girardi said.
To keep his own focus, Butler spends as much time as he can out of his own office and in the hallways, classrooms and cafeterias of South Lakes. That means not answering every one of the 100 e-mails he gets on a daily basis.
“The real magic is happening in the classroom,” he said. “The real joy of this job is working with young people, who are exciting.”
Student Services Director Shannon Tulley said Butler will have visited every classroom this year, often carrying a camera to take as many pictures as he can of students in their day-to-day activities.
“He's got thousands of pictures,” she said, which he shares in a slide show at staff meetings.
His pride in his students is evident in the responsibilities he places on them, and they have proven more than willing to work with him, he said.
“All I have to do is walk into the cafeteria and say 'I need some help,' and it's 'I'll help, I'll help,'” he said.
“I'm just so thankful to work here, I think I'm the luckiest principal in the county.”
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