Packard ready to lead at Ashland High School

ASHLAND – Josh Packard has always had the heart of a coach. His greatest joy is helping others and watching them succeed.

Packard’s first coaching gig came when he was growing up in Holmes County, coaching elementary basketball while he was still in high school. He’s taken that attitude with him through his 21 years as a teacher, counselor and administrator at Ashland High School.

“Throughout my whole career, it’s honestly just been about the number of people I can help in the position that I’m in,” Packard said. 

Packard, 42, was chosen by the Ashland City Schools board and administration to serve as interim Ashland High School principal through the end of the school year. He replaces Mike Riley, whose retirement is effective Dec. 31. 

Packard holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Bowling Green, a master’s in school counseling from Heidelberg University and a principal’s license from Ashland University. 

Though he grew up with a father who was a superintendent at Wayne County Career Center, Packard never expected to transition from teaching to educational leadership. 

He started at Ashland High School in 1998 as an English teacher. After teaching English for six years, he moved to the history department for one year. Meanwhile, Packard coached boys cross country for five years and girls basketball for seven years. 

“When I was a teacher, I found that I was good at talking kids through their problems,” Packard said. “They seemed to like talking to me and so I went after school counseling as the next step in my career.”

He then served as a guidance counselor for 11 years before starting as assistant principal three years ago. 

“I realized that although I was able to help more people as a counselor, I could help even more folks, both students and teachers and parents as an assistant principal,” Packard said. 

As one of three assistant principals, Packard oversaw the guidance department, handled Individualized Education Plans and special services and was the administrator in charge of testing.

Now, Packard looks forward to having even greater impact at the helm of the high school. He hopes to carry out Riley’s vision through the end of this year, and then, if chosen to continue in the role, he hopes to set his own course for next school year and for the next five to 10 years. 

Under Riley’s leadership, Packard said, the school has had great success both in educating staff and students about trauma and resilience and in improving career technical opportunities for students. 

Having worked under six principals at AHS, Packard has an idea of what makes a good principal.

“I think it’s the ability to inspire people to be their best for kids and to create a culture where kids want to do their best in school,” he said. 

That’s the kind of leader Packard wants to be in the community he loves. 

“The Ashland community has been my home now for 21 years, and I love living here, working here and serving these kids,” Packard said. 

Packard lives in Ashland with his wife, Wendy, who is a counselor at Ashland Middle School. The Packards have two kids– Emma, who is in eighth grade at Ashland Middle School, and Jacob, who is in fifth grade at Taft Intermediate School.