While most of my blog posts and Star Clipper columns will focus on educational topics and school issues, this week I want to use this space to give you a little background on your new part-time superintendent and the path that has led me to North Tama. Writing about myself isn’t my favorite thing to do, but I thought the patrons of the North Tama school district might appreciate the background information.
Your new superintendent is no stranger to Tama County. I was born and raised on a family farm in Northern Tama County, and have lived in this area my entire life with the exception of my college years. My great-great-great grandparents settled in Geneseo Township in 1853. Generations later, we are raising our sons on the same farm, in a house built by my great-grandparents not far from the location of the first Hill family log cabin. In 2003, the Hill farm received the Iowa Farm Bureau’s Heritage Farm designation for 150 years in the same family.
Education runs in my bloodlines. My great-grandfather, Charles Hill, was one of the founding board members of the Geneseo Consolidated school district. He served on the Geneseo school board for many years until his son, my grandpa Forrest Hill, succeeded him. My grandmother, Edythe Hill, was a long-time elementary teacher at Geneseo. She was also active in conservation education and helped to establish the 5th Grade Outdoor Classroom which is still held annually at Otter Creek. Because of the my grandparents’ influence, I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher.
While I was a student at Iowa State University, I met my wife Tanya. We married shortly after I graduated from ISU. We have three sons ages 18, 16 and 12. Our oldest son is following in his parents’ footsteps and heading to Iowa State as a freshman this fall. Tanya was an at-home mom during our kids’ younger years, and she began her teaching career in 2010. She teaches Career Technology Exploratory STEM-based classes at Waterloo’s Hoover Middle School. As a family, we enjoy activities such as kayaking on Wolf Creek, bicycling, visiting museums and science centers, and supporting the ISU Cyclones.
For nine years, I was the FFA Advisor and 7th-12th grade Agricultural Education teacher at Benton Community Schools in Van Horne. Even though it has been 10 years since I left the classroom, I think that I will always be an ag teacher at heart. I still enjoy volunteering and serving as a judge for FFA activities whenever possible. Ten years ago, I became the principal at Dysart-Geneseo Elementary School, returning “home” to the school that I attended as a child. I truly love my work as a principal, and the amazing staff and students at D-G. Like most schools in Iowa, D-G’s enrollment is declining. We expect to have about 145 K-5 students at Dysart this coming fall.
North Tama’s enrollment has also declined significantly in the past several years. We’re projecting 459 students on the first day of school in August, down from 475 students on the last day of school in May, and down about 100 students from 10 years ago. Since funding comes on a per-pupil basis, this means there is less money to work with each year. Declining enrollment coupled with inadequate increases in state aid for several consecutive years has presented challenges for North Tama and many Iowa schools. In response, North Tama has reduced teaching and support staff positions and taken other cost-saving measures. Your school board felt that it was also time to consider investigating the possibility of a part-time or shared superintendent. At their regular board meeting in March, the North Tama school board voted to enter into an agreement to share my services with the Union district. While serving as North Tama’s part-time superintendent, I will continue to serve as the principal at Dysart-Geneseo Elementary.
Approximately nine miles separates the building where I am principal in Dysart and the superintendent’s office in Traer. The students, staff, and parents at BOTH North Tama and Dysart-Geneseo are very important to me, and I will work diligently to meet the needs of both schools. Other individuals in both districts will be taking on some additional responsibilities to make things manageable. While this is a change from the way things have been done in previous years, I truly believe that we can make this work! The result will be a long-term financial benefit which will enable both schools to continue to meet the needs of their students and communities in the most efficient way possible.
While having a part-time superintendent will be a change, it is one of the ways the North Tama school board will be able to accomplish their goal of maintaining the district’s financial stability and retaining existing programs so that North Tama will remain a viable K-12 school. I’m happy to be part of the solution that will help keep our schools strong for years to come. North Tama schools have so much to be proud of...and I’m so proud to be part of North Tama! I invite your thoughts and your feedback. You are welcome to visit my blog at http://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/ where you can read my Star Clipper columns and leave comments if you wish.
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