Affton School District is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jason Buck as the Director of College & Career Readiness for the 2022-2023 school year.
Within this position, Dr. Buck will provide leadership, management, and coordination for a variety of career and college readiness programs. Key responsibilities include oversight of career and technical education which includes serving as the fiscal agent of a multi-school consortium, a nationally recognized Project Lead The Way (PLTW) program, an award-winning St. Louis Centers for Advanced Professional Studies (STL CAPS) program, and the Pathways Systems Framework Process to help facilitate college and career readiness systems and processes.
“Dr. Buck has served as principal for Rogers Middle School since 2014 and as an assistant principal at Affton High School for the four years prior,” said Dr. Travis Bracht, superintendent. “Given his previous positions in Affton, he has built relationships that will help him seamlessly collaborate with staff, students, and families who are already familiar with him. The College and Career Readiness Director position has continually taken on more responsibilities and Dr. Buck’s work ethic and dedication are exactly the right fit for this position.”
Buck replaces Marilyn Allen, who announced her retirement earlier this year. Throughout her career, Mrs. Allen has been recognized as a 2021-22 Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Outstanding Administrator of the Year, the state’s Outstanding Administrator by the Missouri PLTW program in 2017, and has been instrumental in launching and expanding PLTW in all Affton schools.
“I have truly enjoyed the past eight years serving as principal of Rogers Middle School,” said Buck. “The opportunity to get to know so many kids and work with so many families has been invaluable. I look forward to continuing to work with both students and families I know, as well as meeting new ones, as we look to help each student build a successful future.”
Prior to coming to Affton, Buck served as administrative intern and science department chair at Hancock Place High School. In addition to his administrative experience, Buck taught science at the middle and high school levels for 13 years. He also served in the United States Army Reserves for 13 years, including serving as Headquarters Company Commander for the 3/383rd Training Support Battalion for five years. He earned a bachelor of science in education at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Mo., as well as a master of arts in education administration from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo.
Buck and his wife, Leslie, a psychology professor at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo., live in the St. Louis area. They have two children, Colin and Taylor.
Buck will begin serving as Director of College & Career Readiness on July 1.