Perry County School District 32 will welcome Dan Hecht back to campus in July as the director of Perryville Area Career and Technology Center. Mr. Hecht succeeds Craig Hayden, who begins his new duties as assistant superintendent on July 1.
Mr. Hecht is a 1990 graduate of Perryville High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education - social studies from Southeast Missouri State University, and a master’s degree in school administration from William Woods College. He returned to Southeast to earn his educational specialist degree. He is president-elect of the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals, having served on the board since 2018.
“I first taught social studies at Chaffee High School for two years,” Mr. Hecht said. “I then taught at Jackson High School for 13 years, where I also coached a little bit of everything – volleyball, junior high basketball, and baseball. In 2009, I became the principal of Kelly Middle School and the next year moved the high school where I’ve been principal for 13 years.”
Thomas W. Kelly High School in Benton, part of the Scott County R-4 district, is home to just under 1,000 students in Grades K-12. “The very best part of my day as the Kelly High School principal is the daily interactions I have with students and staff,” Mr. Hecht said. “Many people talk about how special the finality of high school is, with senior events culminating with graduation, but I have always most enjoyed the excitement of a new school year when the kids come in and we get to know them.”
Mr. Hecht said that he’s ready for the move from high school to a career and technical education setting. “CTE is where education is at right now,” Mr. Hecht said. “We have a gigantic labor shortage. The lack of skilled workers is holding back our economy; we hear all the time that we need more plumbers and HVAC specialists and automotive workers. I’m so excited that I’m going to be a part of teaching those hands-on skills through project-based learning at PACTC. The instructors there are providing students with the tools that will allow them on Day 1 after graduation to be an immediate benefit to our area while earning a good living doing what they love.
“I’ve known Mr. Hayden for a long time, so I know that I have some big shoes to fill,” he said. “I understand what Craig means to the district, and how well he has served the community. I’m grateful to be a part of PACTC. I am ready to serve alongside the staff to continue to give students every opportunity to succeed in their chosen fields.”
He grew up in Altenburg, his dad’s hometown, and said working in Perryville feels a bit like coming home. “It is a great feeling,” he said. “I have worked in Cape or Scott County for 29 years, returning to Perryville for sporting events. I’d drive around and see how things have changed — and stayed the same — and think how much I missed it.”
Mr. Hecht and his wife Jennifer will be married 27 years in June, and they have two children. Mrs. Hecht is a behavior interventionist at Cape Central Middle School. Their son Evan, 23, works as a bus monitor for Jackson R2 Schools. "Evan has autism and is a product of many great educators who poured themselves into him,” Mr. Hecht said. “Evan is very independent; he drives, he loves his job, and he spends about half his pay buying coloring books for the students on his buses. Our daughter Erin, 20, is a second-year student at Southeast Missouri State University majoring in chemistry with a minor in biology.”
Although he will be eligible for retirement next year, Mr. Hecht said he plans to serve District 32 and area students for years to come. “I love this work,” he said. “I still feel young, and I’m looking forward to many years at Perryville Area Career and Technology Center.”
PACTC serves students from Perryville High School, as well as St. Vincent, Valle, Saxony, Meadow Heights, and Ste. Genevieve High Schools. Career programs are offered in fields including welding, construction, automotive repair, auto collision repair, graphic design, industrial engineering, health occupations, early childhood education, computers and electronics, and digital media. The Career Center at District 32 also provides agricultural education opportunities, and adult and community education programs. Visit https://www.perryville.k12.mo.us/o/pactc to learn more.