Jackie Shepard

On Friday, June 13, the Wetzel County Board of Education held a special meeting with Board President Linda Fonner announcing that Jackie Shepard had been recommended by the board to be the new principal at Valley High School for the 2025-26 school year.

Her motion was seconded and given full approval by the board.

Shepard is the daughter of Wetzel County teachers, Jack and Connie Dakan. She is a 1988 graduate of Valley High School, where she was one of five valedictorians of her graduating class. She attended WVU and Fairmont State College, earning a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She began her career in Wetzel County Schools in 1994. In 2002, she moved to Texas, where she taught for 8 years, and earned her master’s degree in education administration from Texas A&M, Kingsville, in 2007. Shepard returned to West Virginia and Wetzel County Schools serving as Assistant Principal at Short Line from 2010-2012. She then served as Principal of Valley High School for one year, before returning to the classroom while she raised her second family. She served the students and families of New Martinsville School from 2013 – 2018, when she became an Instructional Coach for the county. In this role, she provided instructional support to new and beginning teachers at all four elementary schools. She led professional development sessions as needed and facilitated iReady Rewards for students across the county. She was also one of the founders of the Beginning Teacher’s Academy during the 2022-23 school year, supporting new teachers as they began their professional journey in Wetzel County. In 2023, Shepard returned to Short Line School, serving as the Assistant Principal and Athletic Director for the past two years.

Shepard and her husband, John, have four boys, Kyle Jenkins, Kody Jenkins, Spencer Shepard, and Sawyer Shepard, six grandchildren, Cainen, Kanin, Jocelyn, Jase, Klara Bell, and Dax, and two dogs, Chester and Copper. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and traveling. With connections to both the Short Line and Hundred communities, she is looking forward to an exciting new year.