Rob Barcus, who has served Parsons High School the last five years as assistant principal, is taking over as PHS principal this year, following the resignation of Eric Swanson.
Swanson took a position as Neodesha High School principal.
Prior to serving as the assistant principal, Barcus had worked in the district for 23 years as a teacher and basketball, football and track coach. He started his career teaching in Copan, Oklahoma where he worked for two years, before going to work for Parsons USD 503 in 1995. He earned his bachelor of science degree in education in 1993 from Pittsburg State University. He earned his master of arts degree in American history from PSU in 2006 and completed his building leadership license through Fort Hays State University in 2018. He has taught middle school social studies, math and science, has served as athletic director there and has coached through the years prior to moving into administration.
Education is important to Barcus and his family. His father, the late Don Barcus, was a teacher for 30 years. His wife Kendra is an instructional coach at Parsons Middle School and has taught 26 years, and his daughter Caitlin Barcus is entering her second year as an English and history resource teacher at Parsons High School.