Connect Bridgeport
Ad
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeRSS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Community
    • Community News
    • Anniversaries
    • Announcements
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Calendar
    • Churches
    • Clubs & Organizations
    • Directory
    • Farmer's Market
    • File Complaint
    • Greeting Cards
    • Library
    • Lost And Found
    • Obituaries
    • Parks & Recreation
    • Sponsorships
  • Trading Post
    • For Sale
    • Local Deals
    • Services
    • Yard Sales
  • Visitors
  • Relocation
  • Education
  • Jobs
  • Alumni
Ad

It's Official: Oldaker New Bridgeport Middle Principal

By Jeff Toquinto on January 20, 2023

What was expected to become official became official Tuesday evening at the meeting of the Harrison County Board of Education. During the evening session, the elected members of the BOE approved the personnel recommendations submitted to them by Superintendent Dora Stutler.
 
Among those recommendations was for a new principal at Bridgeport Middle School. Since that vote, BMS officially has a new principal in Gary Oldaker.
 
“It’s been busy,” said Oldaker on Wednesday, his first day with the interim tag removed.
 
If the same sounds familiar to those involved with the school, it should. Oldaker has served as the assistant principal for the last five years under former principal David Mazza.
 
The position became open when Mazza applied for the assistant principal and athletic director post at Liberty High School and started Jan. 3 after serving as an assistant principal for eight years and as the principal for six.
 
Oldaker is looking forward to the challenges of leading the school located on Johnson Avenue. And he said he is committed to doing just that.
 
“I certainly wouldn’t have applied if I wasn’t 100 percent dedicated to this, and certainly I am,” said Oldaker. “Before applying, the reservations in my thought process involved it being later in my career and I thought about the pressure that could come.
 
“It boiled down to being in a great school and a great community,” he continued. “After contemplating the position, and realizing so many good things here, I knew I wanted to move into the position.”
 
One of Oldaker’s first tasks will be finding his own replacement as assistant principal. He said he believed the job was posted this week and the goal is to have the post filled Feb. 8 after the posting, the interview process, and going through the steps at the Harrison County Board of Education. As for other things, he said most things will be status quo for the rest of the year.
 
“Anybody that takes a role such as this, they want their own flair and some changes, but it’s hard in the middle of the year. It would be hard to set new goals objectively 23 weeks into the year,” he said. “That is something I look to introduce during the next school year.”
 
Oldaker began his time at Bridgeport Middle School in August of 2017 after he was recommended for the vice principal position and the recommendation was accepted by the BOE. Oldaker is going on 30 years of serving Harrison County in the education arena.
 
He began his career at Washington Irving teaching math, including the final year it was a high school. After that, he taught math for several years at Lincoln High School.
 
Following his time teaching math, Oldaker began assuming an administration role at two schools in Harrison County prior to arriving at BMS. He served as principal at Washington Irving Middle School, and then as an assistant principal at Lincoln High School.
 
Prior to his arrival at BMS in 2017, he held a position in another county. He was the Doddridge County Schools director of curriculum, instruction, and federal programs.
 
Editor's Note: Gary Oldaker is shown at his desk getting things in order Thursday.

Share


Sign up/stay connected

Create your profile to start adding photos, posting comments, and more.

SIGN UP

Ad
Ad
Ad

Blogs [ view all ]

  • Photo

    From the Bench Rewind: Jarrod West Looks...

    EDITOR'S NOTE I: It was 25 years ago on Wednesday that Jarrod West made a shot that will forever keep his name et...

    Posted by Jeff Toquinto

  • Photo

    Time Travel: A Look at Maple Lake from 1...

    This body of water look familiar? This is a photo from 1940 of Maple Lake and for anyone who has driven through the d...

    Posted by Dick Duez

  • Photo

    It's Happening: A Tale of Two Amazing Fu...

    There are so many great things going on in our community and I want to touch on a couple of them in today’s blog...

    Posted by Julie Perine

  • Photo

    ToquiNotes: Recalling a Forgotten Anchor...

    I talk a lot in this blog about former businesses for a walk down memory lane. One of the main areas I focus on is the...

    Posted by Jeff Toquinto

  • Photo

    Off the Shelf: Seed Library Coming Soon ...

    Have you heard the term seed library before? Seed libraries have been around for a while, cropping up in both public a...

    Posted by Savanna Draper

  • Photo

    The Grapevine: Little Bit of This and a ...

    I guess if we had to title this column it would be a “little bit of this and that.” Last week found me bus...

    Posted by Rosalyn Queen

  • Photo

    Why Bridgeport? A Look at Economic Diver...

    Since childhood, you have probably heard the adage, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” This time-tested wisdom c...

    Posted by Jon Griffith

  • Photo

    Beneath the Jacket with the Bridgeport F...

          Editor's Note: Connect-Bridgeport would like to welcome this new blog by The Bri...

    Posted by Miyah Swiger

Calendar [ view all ]

Fri
24

Friday Night Fish Fry at the Harrison County Elks Lodge 2875

Sat
25

Sozo Classic

Mon
27

Author Talk with Peter Taylor

 



Bridgeport, WV
Editorial Board Advertise Privacy Policy Contact Us
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeRSS

©2014 Connect Bridgeport.