In January, Bingham High welcomed a familiar face back to its halls.

Shawn McLeod was named Bingham’s new principal, replacing Rodney Shaw, who retired in December after serving 6 1/2 years as principal. 

McLeod, who recently served for more than five years as principal at Hidden Valley Middle in Bluffdale, marks a return to the high school level. 

He began his career as a math teacher and coach at Hillcrest High in Midvale before moving into administration. He later served as an assistant principal at Copper Hills in West Jordan and three years at Bingham earlier in his administrative career.

After those early years, McLeod transitioned to middle school administration to better balance work and family life. He spent 16 years – seven as an assistant principal and nine as principal – at South Jordan Middle before being asked to open Hidden Valley Middle.

“It’s very unique to stay at a school for so long; I love the community here in South Jordan,” McLeod said.

As his children grew older, McLeod began considering a return to high school administration. When Shaw announced his retirement, the opportunity aligned with that goal.

“I got the call asking if I would accept coming to Bingam High,” McLeod said. “It’s kind of fun since Rodney Shaw originally was assigned to be Hidden Valley principal and it was still two years out. They hadn't even started breaking ground yet to build the building when Bingham’s principal position opened, so he came here. So, I went to Hidden Valley and now, I’m following him here. I'm excited about ending my career back at the high school where I began my career.”

McLeod and Shaw worked closely to ensure a smooth transition leading up to 2026.

Looking ahead, McLeod is eager to reconnect with Bingham’s traditions and its 118-year history.

“I love Bingham’s traditions, its rich history of academics, activities, the history coming from Bingham Canyon; I’m looking forward to getting back to those things here,” he said. “I remember pinning students; homecoming time; the whitewashing of the ‘B’ in Copperton, where the old Bingham High used to be; the music tours; all the sporting events; the stomps; graduation and all of those extracurricular activities which always are fun. I love seeing the students having a great time together and supporting each other.”

McLeod also wants to focus on strong academic opportunities.

“My goal is to continue to support student learning and continue to provide opportunities for kids to excel and progress in all areas of their educational experiences,” he said. “When it comes to AP participation, and all of those different tech classes, I want to keep those opportunities available so we can connect to all students and then be able to recognize them.”

McLeod grew up in Montana and followed his father’s steps in a career in education. McLeod moved to Utah to earn his undergraduate degree in math at Brigham Young University and then he earned his master’s degree in educational leadership at the University of Utah.

“This is my 31st year in education and I love my career as an educator,” McLeod said. “After six years of teaching, I was ready to jump into administration, working with all the kids in the school, not just the 150 to 200 students I saw every day. I was interested in working with all the programs in the school and helping students navigate those, finding their successes – and I still love what I do.”