Belleville middle school principal remembered as ‘selfless’ after fatal crash

When describing Belle Valley Middle School Principal Amanda Bagley, there’s one main quality most often repeated among family and colleagues: selflessness.

“Every kid was important to her,” Bagley’s uncle Robert Cress said. “She strived to make sure every kid got a little bit of loving.”

Bagley died Tuesday of injuries she sustained in a car crash April 21 at the intersection of Horseshoe Lake Road and Interstate 255 near Collinsville, according to Illinois State Police. She was 38.

As an organ donor, Bagley continues her generous legacy, Cress said. So far she has helped save four lives, will save one person’s vision and stands to help many more through tissue donation.

“She was loving and giving, and luckily still able to give,” Cress said.

Cress said Bagley’s life revolved around education, both in her career and in the multiple degrees she pursued. It took resilience to further her education, he said. Both of Bagley’s parents died when she was a teenager from separate medical conditions.

“She had some life struggles that a teenager shouldn’t have to go through,” Cress said. “With all that going on, she still went to SIUE to get her bachelor’s, master’s and then her doctorate. It made me proud.”

Over the years, Bagley held various positions in metro-east schools, with the ultimate goal of becoming a superintendent. She touched many young lives, Cress said.

Most recently, she served as principal at Belle Valley Middle School, a job she had held since fall 2024.

“Dr. Amanda Bagley was a deeply respected and well-loved leader,” Belle Valley Superintendent Melanie Brink said. “She led with compassion, kindness and a truly selfless spirit … creating a school community where people felt valued and supported.”

Brandon Musson will serve as the middle school’s interim principal through the end of the school year, with Amanda Wolf serving as interim assistant principal.

According to past BND reporting, Bagley previously held a number of positions in the Cahokia School District. Over about a decade in Cahokia, she was a permanent substitute, special education teacher, assistive technology facilitator and special education supervisor.

Cress said Bagley also once taught for the Brooklyn school district.

Bagley planned to teach kindergarten — something she had never done before — in Missouri next school year, Cress said. Bagley and her beloved dog, Tux, were set to move in with her boyfriend in southeast Missouri.

“Education was her main focus in life,” Cress said.

Bagley lived with Cress and his wife, Penny, multiple times as a young adult, allowing Cress and Bagley’s bond to grow strong. Just as Bagley taught students, she also imparted life lessons to her family.

“She made me open my eyes to every person and their situation,” Cress said. “Where sometimes we’ll look at somebody and see the worst in them, Mandy would look at them and say ‘How can we improve them?’”

Every Father’s Day, Bagley would treat Cress to a Cardinals game, always the ones with bobblehead giveaways. Still, when Cress was given Bagley’s phone after the accident, he was surprised to see his phone number listed in her contacts as “Dad.”

“It makes (me) proud that she had the love for me to consider me that,” Cress said.

As of Friday morning, funeral arrangements for Bagley had not been set.

Belle Valley had therapy dogs and additional counselors from nearby schools on campus Wednesday to support students. Brink said other districts coming together to help Belle Valley through this difficult time “shows what a community schools are.”