Wendell School District Superintendent Tim Perrigot came from a line of educators but never thought he’d be one himself — until one general elective class in college changed his mind. He spent the day working with high school football players and was offered an assistant coaching job on the spot. “I just fell in love with it,” he says. “I called my parents back, told them that I needed more money because I wanted to go back to school a little bit longer. And I decided to become a teacher.”
He spent his career in small towns like Paul and Rupert, eventually becoming the longtime Minico High School football coach. In 2018, he was named the superintendent in Wendell — but he never gave up his IEA membership. And even though he’ll retire in a few months, he’s not done advocating for Idaho educators. “I think probably the most important thing I can do is continue to be vocal about supporting folks that are involved in education,” he says. “We’ve got to make sure they’re treated as royalty, because they’re raising the next generation of leaders.”
