School Leadership

Originally from Fort Wayne, IN, Mr. Bopp is a 2003 graduate of Wabash College, where he was a two-time captain of the Wabash College Football Team. Mr. Bopp has served in various roles (teacher, coach, and principal) at Merritt Island Christian School since 2005. Earning his master’s degree in educational leadership from the American College of Education in 2013, Mr. Bopp shared that “being a principal has been so rewarding. The opportunity to lead others has been inspiring.” He was honored to be named the 2017 Brevard County Breakfast of Champions Administrator of the Year.

Mrs. Debbie Thomas Fairbanks graduated from SCPS in 1981. After graduating from the University of Georgia in Fashion Merchandising, she returned to college at Armstrong University to receive her teaching certificate in Middle Grades. Mrs. Fairbanks began her career at SCPS in 1994 as a middle school teacher and cheer coach. She was the Director of Admissions from 2003 until 2020. Mrs. Fairbanks serves the school as Senior Director of Advancement. She has been involved with SCPS for the past 48 years as a student, an employee, a parent, and now a grandparent at SCPS.

Megan grew up in Savannah and attended Savannah Christian Prep for High School, from which she graduated in 2005. From there, she attended Georgia Southern University and earned her Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Accounting (2009) and Master of Accounting (2011). After graduate school, she worked for a regional public accounting firm with a focus in financial statement audits. In 2017, she came home to SCPS and joined the administrative team.

Mr. Phillips earned his undergraduate degree from Shorter College. He also holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Gordon College. Greg began his career as a teacher and coach, working his way up to athletics administration. For the past ten years, he has been an assistant athletic director at independent schools such as Mount Paran Christian School (Kennesaw, GA) and Christian Heritage School (Dalton, GA).

Mrs. Ringham is the Interim Principal of the Lower School at SCPS. The Lower School is the front door of the school where many of our graduates start their school careers.  Mrs. Ringham has been in education in several capacities for 20 years, rising through the administrative ranks due to her strong academic leadership. Mrs. Ringham earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Mr. Simmons received a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. He then earned his Master of Arts in Theater from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.  A member of the Wesleyan School faculty since 2010, Mr. Simmons has served as a classroom teacher, Technical Director, and Chapel Coordinator.  Prior to this role, Mr. Simmons was an actor and director with Missoula Children’s Theater, and he also served as director of theater and choral programs at Friendship Christian School.

Mrs. Straight is a native of Savannah, Georgia. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Duke University (1993), an M.S. in Educational Psychology from Florida State University (1996), and an M.Ed in Counseling Education from Georgia Southern University (2005). Since she began working at SCPS in 2005, Mrs. Straight has held multiple positions, including School Counselor, Dean of Academics, and Girls’ Golf Coach.

Leighton Upton was born and raised in Wilmington, NC. He received a B.A. in Religion from Bob Jones University and an M.A in Christian Education and Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is currently a Doctoral candidate at the University of Tennessee with a focus in Educational Leadership. Mr. Upton has a passion for developing the next generation to become leaders in their spheres of influence and become dedicated followers of Christ. Leighton is married to Janelle Upton and together they have a son, Calvin.