After nearly a decade of service at West Delaware High School, Principal Tim Felderman is moving on to be the superintendent at the Hampton Dumont County Community School District as of July 1.
During his tenure at West Delaware, Felderman led the school through many changes, the most notable being almost $40 million in school reconstruction.
“The day before the 2023-2024 school year started, I was up in classrooms until 2 a.m. getting them ready for school,” Felderman said. “Oftentimes, I was called in at 5 a.m. to deal with problems of all types during construction.”
Assistant football coach and social studies teacher Corey Coates appreciates Felderman’s strong leadership during COVID and renovation.
“Leading during major changes is a hard thing to do,” Coates said. “When you have those big projects, there are confusing new problems to figure out.”
However, Felderman’s real strength is his relationship with students.
“What sets him apart from other principals is his willingness to help students at the drop of a hat,” Assistant Principal and Athlete Director Matthew Weiss said. “I’ve seen him at the school as late as 11 p.m. working with students and up at the school at 4:45 a.m. to help a student out.”
The support Felderman shows for his students carries over to the staff and building as well. Art teacher Jolene Pitzenberger-Timp recognizes the support teachers are shown at WD.
“When you have a teacher-student problem, he will always look at both sides of the debate and how it will affect both parties,” Pitzenberger-Timp said. “He trusts the staff and treats them as equals.”
Mackenzie Atwater, guidance counselor, saw his compassion firsthand.
“You can see it every time he talks to students—how he just lights up,” Atwater said. “He is very invested in student life. What is most impressive to me is how much he tries.”
It’s not only his co-workers who see it; students do too. Shelby Waterhouse (12) was pulled aside several times by Felderman for interviews on the general atmosphere of the school.
“He grabs freshmen through seniors in groups of about five to ten,” Waterhouse said. “He listens to their problems and what he can do to fix them. He lifts people up and holds them to a higher standard.”
Coates saw Felderman interact with many students over the years.
“I remember at some random basketball game he tried to get involved in the student section,” Coates laughed. “‘Attempts’ is the key word. He tried to lead them in the roller coaster activity, and it didn’t go well.”
While Felderman is wholeheartedly invested in activities and games, his focus has been on the future.
“My biggest push,” Felderman said, “has been to get students out to businesses or colleges and the businesses to come to the school to talk to the students. I want them to have a direction after high school. Connections to the real world are my way to do it.”
Felderman incorporated several career-ready skills into the curriculum and graduation requirements. His goal is twofold: to teach students technical and professional skills.
“You want them to be able to run the machines,” Felderman said. “You also want to teach them the soft skills to succeed.”
Felderman’s effort strongly impacted Francis Lee (10). Not only is Lee grateful for the many celebratory assemblies Felderman put in place, but Lee is also grateful for the student-to-business philosophy Felderman pushed for.
One day at a Career Fair, Lee stumbled across a carpentry table.
“He helped me find a love for carpentry,” Lee said. “I will always be grateful for that.”
Another key push Felderman made is for students to have a voice and feel included. Students now read the daily announcements, train in leadership committees, and fill out quarterly student opinion surveys.
“It used to be that the student-to-principal relationship when I was in high school was about punishment,” Felderman said. “Now, it is about community. I try to offer support and nurture students and provide guidance.”
Whether through his care for students, teachers, and the building, his leadership during renovation, or his focus on education after high school, one thing is sure: Felderman’s impact will be felt for a long time. “I’ve worked with seven principals in two schools,” Pitzenberger-Timp said. “And he is by far my favorite. All of West Delaware will miss him.”
