Whether it’s booming over the intercom, at pep rallies, or in the hallways ordering late students to get to class, Coppell High School associate principal Sean Bagley’s voice is one all have grown accustomed to. 

Now, after 15 years at CHS, the beloved administrator is retiring from the district. Moving on to the next phase of his life, Bagley plans to work part-time at the adult autistic living community 29 Acres, located in Dallas. 

“Mr. Bagley is the guy who you come across in the hall and your day is instantly better,” CHS senior student body president and plunger boy Leo Swaldi, who worked with Bagley during pep rallies and football games, said. “[For the pep rallies], he has great ideas and he’s very ambitious, so it was great to have his ideas and his experience. I wish him the best wherever he goes, and I want him to know that he’s forever changed my life and my high school experience. CHS won’t be the same without him.”

Starting as an assistant principal, Bagley was promoted to the associate principal position three years ago. 

“The biggest thing I will miss at CHS is the daily interaction with students,” Bagley said. “This was the whole reason I got into education so I could work with students.  The second would be seeing the people who I have built relationships with.  This place kind of becomes like a family and when you leave family it is always hard.”

One of the closest friendships Bagley has built at CHS is with his fellow associate principal Melissa Arnold. They met in August 2005, when she was an English teacher, and grew even closer when she joined the administrative team in 2013. 

“Over the last seven years, we have experienced so many things together both at and outside of work,” Arnold said. “Our families support each other.  My daughter thinks of Bagley as one of her school parents.  I cannot even imagine what it is going to be like to not see him every day next year.  When I think about [memories with him], I think about Friday night football games on the sidelines, the homecoming parade where he forgot to fill his truck up with gas and we weren’t sure we were going to make it back to school, the hours and hours and hours we have spent setting up and taking down testing, the year we shared the duties of testing coordinator.”

Many appreciate Bagley’s gregarious attitude, which lifts up spirits and keeps things energetic. 

“His impact will be felt for a long time at CHS, just the way he approached everything with a positive attitude and a joyful spirit is how I think people will always try to do because of him,” Coppell football offensive coordinator Jay Jones said. “[He has a] larger than life personality.”

Organizing the biennial Shattered Dreams program with KCBY-TV has been one of Bagley’s favorite parts of working at CHS. Shattered Dreams is a program that encourages responsibility regarding underage drinking and driving, including both a short film and a live action skit. 

“We focus this around prom season every other year to hopefully be a little reminder as our students are making decisions that could have lasting implications,” Bagley said. “This is completely student-driven and we have our kids as the victims to make it as real as possible and so our kids can hopefully connect.”

His passion for the project has not gone unnoticed by his peers. 

“Mr. Bagley puts his heart and soul into Shattered Dreams and I remember standing next to him outside at the accident scene and he was kneeling down just crying,” Arnold said. “He loves each and every one of our kids and that moment it hit me how deeply invested he is in the lives of all.  I asked him later on if he thought the day was a success.  His response to me was ‘if we can just reach one kid and they change their decisions because of that I will consider today a success.’ That was a pretty cool moment and one I will remember forever.”

After being an integral part of CHS for so long, Bagley is considered to know the school better than anyone else. But he also knows the students extremely well and knows what is best for them. 

“[Bagley] literally knows what every single door leads to and is probably the only person who truly knows the path to take to see that basement,” Arnold said. “I’m hoping he shows me before he leaves. Beyond just being able to understand the physical building of Coppell High School, Mr. Bagley is the heart of this school. He leads all APs in understanding the kids come first.  Every decision we have to make whether it be a grading decision, a discipline decision, or an activity we are planning, [Bagley] always brings it back to kids and what is going to be best for them.”

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