JEFFERSON CITY - The Jefferson City School District announced today that Beth Houf, Fulton Middle School principal and the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ National Principal of the Year, will lead Capital City High School as its next principal. Houf will succeed Ben Meldrum, who will be the superintendent of Blair Oaks R-II School District after more than 20 years serving JC Schools as a teacher and administrator.

The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) named Houf as the national principal of the year in 2022 for her exceptional ability to create a collaborative school environment, support professional development among her staff, and promote academic success and social-emotional learning in her school. Houf became the principal of Fulton Middle School in 2015 after serving as the principal of McIntire Elementary in Fulton for seven years. As a principal, Houf has consistently demonstrated her commitment to providing leadership opportunities for staff, focusing on staff morale, enhancing parent involvement, and developing new programming to improve students’ academic experience.

“Beth Houf has a proven track record of outstanding leadership and is a champion principal. We could not be more excited for her to take over the helm at Capital City High School,” said JC Schools Superintendent Bryan McGraw. “I am confident that she will not only continue to build upon the culture and student success established at CCHS, but also lead it to new heights.”

“I am thrilled to join the JC Schools team and lead CCHS as its head principal,” Beth Houf said. “My mantra is: culture comes first, next, always. As a building leader I have always been passionate about fostering a sense of community at my schools, and I am very much looking forward to joining the team at Capital City High School.”

Houf started her education career in 2000 at JC Schools as a fifth grade teacher at Belair Elementary and University of Missouri fellow. She went on to serve both Southwest Elementary School in Jefferson City from 2001-2002 and Bartley Elementary School in Fulton from 2002-2007 as a fourth grade eMINTS teacher. eMINTS is an interactive and research-based professional development program for teachers. 

From 2006-2008, Houf participated in the Select Teacher as Regional Resource program through the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). In the program, she participated in intensive training in research-based instructional strategies. Houf also developed and administered professional development to support the needs of districts throughout Missouri.

Prior to her national principal of the year recognition, NASSP named Houf as the digital principal of the year in 2019. The award honors principals who leverage technology in their schools. Additionally, Houf was named the principal of the year by the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals in 2021; principal of the year by Education Dive, an education news outlet, in 2019; and the Missouri Distinguished Principal of the Year by the National Association of Elementary School Principals in 2016. 

DESE named Fulton Middle School and McIntire Elementary School as exemplary professional learning communities in 2019 and 2015, respectively.

Currently pursuing a doctorate in education from the University of Missouri, Houf holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, and education specialist degree from the University of Missouri. She and her husband Todd have two sons: Paul, a freshman at Mizzou, and Dawson, a sixth grader.