Wagner Retires This Week After Storied Career in Education
Forty-five years in education has dwindled down to just a few hours.
La Grange superintendent William (Bill) Wagner’s final day with LGISD is this Friday.
“I remember in 1977, when we (both he and his wife of 45 years, Terri) started teaching at Giddings, the superintendent talked to us the first day about the teacher retirement program. He said, pay attention, because your career is going to go a lot faster than you think, and he was right,” said Wagner. “It has flown by.”
Wagner is completing his sixth year as superintendent at La Grange. Prior to that he was assistant superintendent here for four years. Before that he was La Grange High School principal for 24 years.
But now the things in his office at the administration building are mostly packed up. New superintendent Andy McHazlett moves in Wednesday.
“It’s bittersweet,” Wagner said. “You work and you look forward to one day retiring, but when it gets here you find yourself looking back. You know you had an impact in a lot of decisions that were made and had an impact on a lot of kids’ lives.”
Few people know what they want to do with their life in middle school, but Wagner was an exception.
“When I was in seventh grade I loved my Texas History teacher and I just thought this would be neat to do,” Wagner said.
From that point on he planned to be an educator.
“I got into high school and I really enjoyed athletics, and was part of the 1972 state championship football team at Schulenburg. By that time I had met my future wife, and her dad was the coach at Schulenburg. I decided I’ll be a Texas history teacher and coach.”
He and Terri coached and taught during two different three-year stints in Giddings, sandwiched around one year in Blanco.
His middle school principal at Giddings told Bill he would be a good school administrator, and he added a Masters Degree from Southwest Texas State to his Bachelor’s from the school.
In 1984 he was hired as La Grange’s first-ever high school assistant principal and has been wearing purple and gold ever since.
Now there’s not a place he can go in town without being recognized.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than having a kid come up to you and say, ‘You probably don’t remember this, but back in high school you told me this or told me that and how big a difference that made,’” Wagner said.
From 1988 to 2012 he was high school principal, then spent four years as assistant superintendent before replacing Randy Albers six years ago. During his time as superintendent LGISD passed a massive bond package for facilities improvements.
“Mr. Weaver, Mr. Sladek and Dr. Albers (the three men who proceeded Wagner as superintendent) were great mentors to learn from and I used what I learned from them to develop my own style,” Wagner said.
And the passion for education was passed down from Bill and Terri (who taught for 39 years) to their children.
They have four daughters of which three are employed in education. Three daughters work in the La Grange ISD, Ramona, a La Grange Elementary Assistant Principal; Rhea, an Educational Diagnostician; and Regina, La Grange Middle School Assistant Principal. The Wagners have nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
During his time at LGISD Wagner was a regular attendee of almost every school function, and he said he’ll still be attending many to watch those grandchildren.
Wagner regularly wore a white shirt and tie to work, and Monday he was surprised to see dozens of his colleagues participating in a “Dress like Mr. Wagner” day in his honor.
“I had no idea. My wife had gone through my tie closest and I was seeing people wearing these ties and was like, ‘I have one just like that.’” Wagner said.
There’s one more celebration left.
There will be a come-and-go open house honoring him this Friday, May 27, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the LGISD Performing Arts Center (auditorium).
“I’m excited to see some people and hopefully go down memory lane,” Wagner said.
One Final Goodbye
There will be a come-and-go Open House honoring Bill Wagner this Friday, May 27, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the LGISD Performing Arts Center (auditorium).