📚 School board names Ruckel cafetorium after beloved former principal Dr. Ginny Morgan
🎭 Morgan championed the “three A’s” — Academics, Arts, and Athletics — and launched transformative programs
🏫 Facility seen as central hub for student life, reflecting Morgan’s holistic approach to education
NICEVILLE — The Okaloosa County School Board on Monday voted unanimously to name Ruckel Middle School’s new cafetorium after former principal Dr. Virginia “Ginny” Morgan, recognizing her decades of leadership and her lasting impact on the school’s culture.
Board member Brett Hinely, who sponsored the recommendation along with Superintendent Marcus Chambers, called the decision “a no-brainer.”
“Naming a facility is a big deal,” Hinely said. “I was a Ruckel Ram. My daughters were all Ruckel Rams, and there is a history for the principal there. And I know Dr. Morgan… she embodies everything that you would want in a principal.”
Chambers, whom Morgan hired in 1998, said she was ” principal well before her time.”
“She was an amazing leader. She was an instructional leader. And she’s someone who teachers, staff, and students would follow,” Chambers said. “Her biggest motto was what is best for students, and that’s what she was all about for her teachers and her staff.”
Ruckel Middle School Principal Joe Jannazo said the naming honors a leader who “demanded nothing but respect” and always put students first. “I just hope I can live up to a Dr. Ginny Morgan standard,” he said.
In his proposal to the board, Jannazo described Morgan’s legacy as transformative. She introduced programs such as the International Baccalaureate and “Alternatives to Learning,” established a teacher-led core values committee, and championed what she called the “three A’s” — Academics, Arts, and Athletics. Her ability to attract top-tier educators and coaches elevated the school’s performance and made Ruckel a sought-after destination for families.
Jannazo also noted that Morgan viewed the cafetorium as a central hub for student life, fostering friendship with open seating and hosting activities from performances to tutoring sessions.
The new naming, he wrote, honors “her belief that every space in a school should serve the holistic needs of students.”
Virginia’s husband, David Morgan, thanked the board for the recognition and recalled her career path.
“She started teaching at Ruckel in 1968, and then she moved over to Lewis,” he said. “She was so good at teaching math that she became the math supervisor… and then she did such a good job with that they put her in charge of a smooth, smooth transition” from junior high to middle school.
The board voted 5-0 to approve the naming.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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