Jerry Bell, Principal

Hello Panther Nation!

I am Mr. Jerry Bell and I am thrilled to rejoin the Whitmer Panthers family as your new principal. I have been a part of Washington Local for 25 of my 28 years in education serving the WLS community in a variety of ways as a teacher, dean, principal, and coach. I was born and raised in Washington Local Schools and am a proud 1991 Whitmer Graduate. My wife and I are high school sweethearts and have been married for 27 years. I have two children, Connnor is 23 and Kara is 20. Both graduated from Whitmer.

I am passionate about connecting with all students and staff. My first question before I accepted this role was how often do I get to be around the students? I am not a leader who leads from their office. I am visible and want to interact with students and staff throughout the day. Building positive relationships is what drives me and I look forward to meeting each of you.  

Whitmer High School is the best high school in the state. We are family and will treat you like family by being there for you in the good times and low times. My main goal is to provide an inclusive environment where every student feels valued and empowered to achieve their best. Together, we will work towards providing a safe culture for all learners. I’m here to listen and support you. My door is always open, and I look forward to working closely with each of you to make this a great year.

We provide an almost unlimited amount of opportunities for all students no matter what your interest level is. This year alone, we added eighteen new courses which were based on feedback from our students. I encourage you all to get involved in our school’s many activities and programs. Your participation and feedback are important to us.

I’m looking forward to an exciting year full of learning, growth, and achievement. Let’s make it one of the best years yet! 

Go Panthers!