Bellerive Elementary School Principal Retires

After serving for ten years as ’s principal, Debbie McMillan is moving on from the Creve Coeur school. Parents, teachers, and staff agree that her gentle efficiency and consistent commitment to student and staff growth will be missed.

McMillan is “a teacher’s principal…one hundred percent supportive of her staff,” said physical education teacher Debbie Kirby. In her tenure as principal, McMillan has focused on staff development and facilitating teamwork among the 80 staff members. Counselor Christine Sweeney, who works daily with McMillan on ways to serve students and families, added, “she’s done an amazing job building leadership in our building.”

McMillan herself said that one of the most important qualities for a principal to have is to “always get input from the stakeholders. The best ideas at the school have always come from the teachers,” she said. Kirby said that she has encouraged staff to pilot new programs and often seeks input from teachers. McMillan’s other piece of advice for principals is to have a sense of humor.

One of the most noticeable contributions McMillan has made as principal is her collaboration with the St. Louis County Special School District (SSD), which provides staff who can meet the needs of students with disabilities. Bellerive now has as many staff from the SSD as it does “regular education” teachers. McMillan said that people think that the school’s “inclusive and collaborative relationship with special education” is the best thing about Bellerive. One positive outcome of this relationship, McMillan said, is that the students, who are diverse racially and according to ability, largely do not make fun of one another. 

McMillan is also appreciated for her visibility in the building. City Councilman A.J. Wang, whose daughter is in second grade at the school, said, “We see her all the time. She’s outside in all kinds of weather, looking over all the kids as they’re leaving after school” or arriving at the start of the day. Wang also said that she is always present at extracurricular events like the school picnic and sock hop. McMillan said that “seeing the kids grow academically and emotionally” has been one of her favorite aspects of being principal.

As she prepares to move on, McMillan said that even while many aspects of education will constantly change, Bellerive staff “must keep the collaboration and know we’re all here for the same thing.” Sweeney feels that McMillan has built a solid foundation that will encourage staff to continue to grow and progress together. “The conversations we’ve had that have encouraged me to grow and reflect are what I’ll always remember,” she said.

McMillan is not yet fully retiring. She plans to work with a professional in work transition to see how her skills may be applicable in other fields. In the eyes of parents and staff, her skills as a principal have certainly been evident at Bellerive.