End of School Year Brings Reflection, New Plans 

By Greg Ritchie

Messenger Reporter

(Above picture from Crockett ISD graduation fireworks show courtesy of Jon Hobson)

HOUSTON COUNTY –  As another school year fades away, the halls become quiet, the records of students being filed away, moved from junior to senior high, the schools washed, cleared, reorganized. Another school year will start in only the blink of an eye. 

As graduations come to Houston County schools, The Messenger has spoken to many graduating seniors who almost all claim they cannot wait for high school to end. For some, high school will be the pinnacle of their lives. We all have a friend who peaked in high school and then never really reached their potential during the rest of their lives. 

Some have begun to find themselves, becoming the adults they were meant to be, shedding inhibitions, learning how the world works. Those of us who have been paying light bills and property tax for a few years may think back fondly on those times, when your only worry was that big math test or if the rumors were true that so-and-so likes you. 

The smaller ones will move next year from elementary to junior high, where the workload begins to become real. The math, reading and science all begin to require more attention and more study. The junior high kids who are now in high school. It’s intimidating to walk into a high school where everything is so…adult. 

It has been a good year for Houston County schools, with many graduating with scholarships, contracts to play sports at the college level and a million other plans and dreams. Many have declared their intention after high school to go into one of the many trades and other professions, skipping college altogether. Good for them, as our country needs people to build, create, maintain and do the hard jobs which keep our society going. When the faucet leaks, few computer programmers or 19th Century French poetry experts will suffice. 

The Messenger spoke with Crockett Independent School District (CISD) Superintendent John Emerich about how the year went and what he will be working on for next year. It has been an important year for the district, voting in the new calendar for next year, staying on good financial ground, expanding programs and opportunities and working to better the culture of the school and the community. 

Emerich is proud of what the district has done to attract and retain the professionals who educate the students. 

“Overall, I think the school year went very well. We’re continuing to make gains and progress. A key part of that is the ‘TAP’ system we implemented this year, which gives our teachers professional development on a regular and ongoing basis,” Emerich said. “I firmly believe we need to do everything we can to make all of our teachers the best they can be so they can be the best for our students. Helping our teachers grow and having a system in place that allows them to grow, I think is huge.”

Emerich keeps a close eye on legislation and has been disappointed with some of what lawmakers in Austin have done, or not done. 

“I’m very disappointed. The priority out of the gate for lawmakers should have been to give teachers raises and they’ve done nothing as far as that’s concerned. The state senate increased the basic allotment by $50 which is literally a drop in the bucket. That would not even cover the raise I’ve already given our teachers,” Emerich explained. “We’ve handled our money so well here the last few years, we were excited to be able to give a 4% increase to our teachers, which is pretty good keep us as the highest paid district across the board.”

At Grapeland schools it was a year of big changes, with new school board members and a new superintendent, too. Speaking with Dr. David Maas, he is finally set to really get settled into the community with his own son graduating high school this week so the family can all be together in Grapeland. Maass said he has learned a lot already in his two months on the job. 

“I have met with almost every teacher here just to get the the positives and the negatives of the district and try to prioritize some easy things to fix,” Maass explained. “I want to start putting a plan in process and get started on a five-year plan but it has been fast and furious since I arrived.”

Maas said there is more learning and working to do as the summer will soon lead to another school year but said he knows he is not on his own in his new role. 

“When I first got here, everyone explained to me what they do in the central office,” Maass explained. “I came from a smaller school, so I had my hands in almost everything. And when I got here, I thought, ‘What do I get to do?’ But there’s still plenty to do, though! It’s been great and everybody’s been very supportive. The community is very supportive. But it’s been very busy; the days go really fast.”

Saturday, May 20 was the graduation ceremony for Kennard ISD, with Crockett, Grapeland, Elkhart, Slocum and Latexo all celebrating their graduation ceremonies Friday, May 26. Lovelady was set for Saturday, May 27 in the afternoon. 

Good luck to our graduating seniors! As you go out into the world, you will no doubt find many of life’s most important lessons were learned not in a classroom but on the sports field, getting in trouble and learning a lesson or finally coming clean with your parents and feeling their support – after their anger subsided, of course. 

You just may find you miss those comfortable classrooms and simple routines. The small towns and lifelong friendships may mean more to you at a faraway college or job site. You have made our community more interesting and fun, with the awards, the sports and yes, even some of your jokes and references us old folks don’t quite understand. The Messenger hopes many of you will return soon, to enrich our county in your adult life, too. 

Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]