Wakefield Country Day School in Huntly announced last Thursday the retirement of Head of School Paul Larner, effective June 30, 2024.
“After three years of dedicated service, Larner has decided to retire and pass the torch to a new Head of School,” according to a news release from WCDS. “During his tenure, Larner made invaluable contributions to the school community, fostering an environment of academic excellence, integrity, and community engagement.”
“The Wakefield community expresses its heartfelt gratitude for Mr. Larner’s unwavering commitment and visionary leadership,” the news release said. “Mr. Larner will continue to serve the school in the future as a member of the Board of Directors.”
Larner joined the board of directors in 2019 before transitioning from board chair to head of school in December 2020. His decision to retire is partially motivated by the healthcare needs of a family member to whom he wishes to dedicate more time. “I couldn’t do that and devote the amount of time to Wakefield that’s both necessary and that Wakefield deserves,” Larner told the Rappahannock News.
The Board is now actively engaged in a comprehensive search for Larner’s successor with the assistance of Southern Teachers, a professional educational recruitment agency based in Charlottesville.
Simultaneously, a major gift will significantly impact the institution’s future. Tobias Dengel, a 1989 alumnus of the school, and his wife, Lynn, philanthropists and supporters of education, are donating $500,000 to the school and have pledged $250,000 in matching grants for the years 2024 and 2025. This transformative gift will enhance academic programs, support scholarships, fund infrastructure projects and further advance the school’s mission of providing an exceptional education to its students.
Larner said the school is ecstatic about the $1 million pledge, and he is honored to announce his transition to board member alongside the generous gift. Larner is looking forward to staying an active member of the Board of Directors and continuing to help with fundraising — something he has been involved in at Wakefield since 2019.
“[I’m] exceptionally proud of all that the faculty and staff, together with me, have accomplished over this nearly five-year period,” Larner said. “Wakefield Country Day School is a spectacular asset for Rappahannonians…and it’s the mark of a healthy and vibrant county to have a healthy and vibrant independent school.”
— Foothills Forum reporter Ireland Hayes contributed to this report
From the archives:
‘A phoenix rising out of the ashes’: Wakefield Country Day School celebrates 50-year anniversary in wake of financial crisis
Wakefield Country Day School was on the brink of collapse thirty years ago following a dispute within its Board of Directors that led to a splintering of the institution, giving rise to an off-shoot school in Marshall that still exists today.
