Jason Dandurand

Dandurand brings 27 years of educational leadership experience to the Roxana Community Unit School District. As Principal, he shapes school culture, drives instructional improvement and partners with families and local organizations across every layer of school life. His approach connects relationship-building with shared accountability, helping RHS build inclusive, high-performing and community-centered practices that students, staff and families can carry forward.

Rooted in Belief

The idea ‘Every student deserves a champion,’ has driven Dandurand ever since he started coaching youth sports and it’s still what guides his work today at the helm of Roxana High School. It took root when coaches and teachers shaped his life in ways that rivaled the influence of his parents and it pushed him toward education when playing days ended.

His most formative chapter came inside an alternative school, working daily with at-risk youth. High expectations, genuine relationships and steady support changed outcomes for students who faced serious challenges. That classroom became a turning point. Each role that followed, teacher, dean of students, then vice principal, deepened his belief that education is not simply a career. It is a calling.

Culture as Architecture

At Roxana High School, Dandurand treats culture not as a byproduct of programming but as something built deliberately. The Shells of the Month program recognizes students nominated by staff for living out core values. ROX Stars celebrates students each morning during school announcements for acts of kindness, leadership and improvement. Zero Heroes rewards students quarterly for maintaining clean discipline records and full attendance.

Best Buddies brings that same philosophy into inclusion work, promoting meaningful relationships between students with and without disabilities. Illinois named the RHS chapter its 2025-26 Rookie Chapter of the Year. The Trident, developed by the assistant principal and students with Dandurand’s support, honors those whose achievements and contributions rise above the expected.

Teacher leadership carries equal structural weight. Three Instructional Leads facilitate professional development and share best practices across the building. A Communications Team gives staff a regular forum to raise concerns and shape systems. The School Leadership Team guides instructional vision and improvement efforts alongside Dandurand and his assistant principal.

Recognition Built on Substance

RHS has earned recognition across several fronts, each reflecting a program with genuine depth behind it.

Illinois designated Roxana High School a Democracy School, recognizing its commitment to civic learning, student voice and democratic engagement. The Student Council earned the National Gold Council of Excellence Award from the National Association of Student Councils. Outstanding RHS teachers have guided students in earning multiple Madison County Green School Awards and securing grant funding for sustainability initiatives that improved the campus and extended into the wider community.

Community as Campus

Dandurand built a partnership ecosystem that turns the community surrounding RHS into an active contributor to student success.

A school-based health clinic, developed with Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation, addressed a pattern Dandurand had identified years earlier. Students were missing school because they lacked consistent access to healthcare. A physician assistant now works alongside the school nurse each week, allowing students to receive care and return to class without losing a full school day. Midwest Members Credit Union supports the Shells of the Month program. Shell Oil Company's investment created the Student Center and Shell Café. Wood River Refinery provides scholarship opportunities that open pathways to college and technical training. Local funders backed the ROX Gallery, a dedicated space for student artwork and academic projects.

These partnerships share a common belief. “Education is one of the few professions where you have the opportunity to change the trajectory of someone's life every day. Never take that responsibility, or that privilege, for granted.”