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RISON - Pardon Johnnie Johnson if he
seems a little relaxed on his first official day as superintendent of
the Cleveland County School District. After all, as far as he’s
concerned, he’s back home.
Johnson, wearing a striped polo shirt with slacks, eased into the seat
behind his desk as a classic country music radio station played in the
background. He had yet to finish out his first full day on the job, but
from all appearances, he seemed to be as comfortable as if he were
resting in his favorite easy chair at home.
“It’s been fantastic,” he said in response to a question about what it’s
been like since coming back to Rison.
Johnson, though not a native of Rison nor even a graduate of Rison High
School, has plenty of deep ties to the school and the community. He
spent 17 years in the Rison School District and his parents were from
the Macedonia community south of Rison.
He took his first job in public education when he was hired as head
football coach at Rison in 1977. Ironically, that was about the same
time that his predecessor, former Superintendent Scotty Holderfield,
came on board as well.
Johnson was named elementary principal his second year at Rison and
coached another two years before turning in his whistle. He eventually
became high school principal and returned to coaching for another two
years in 1988 and 1989. He was Rison High School principal when he left
the district in 1994 to accept the job as superintendent of the Gillett
School District.
Johnson held that position until 2004 when the state’s new minimum
student enrollment requirements forced Gillett to consolidate with the
neighboring DeWitt School District.
His title then changed to that of assistant superintendent and athletic
director. He said his primary responsible as assistant superintendent
was to oversee the Gillett campus. When he left DeWitt toward the end of
this past school year, he held the title of district transportation and
maintenance director.
Despite some the turmoil that surrounded the school board’s decision to
hire him back in March, Johnson said the community has welcomed him back
with open arms.
Johnson said he’s had phone calls, visits and chance meetings around town
with loads of former players and students. “There’s only been two people
who I couldn’t remember who they were,” Johnson said. “I was really
embarrassed.
“There were some former students who came up to me who I thought hated me
and welcomed me back,” he said.
Johnson said what really impressed him was the day he got ready to move
to Rison, about six people had driven over to help him. He said all of
them left about 45 minutes ahead of him since he had some last-minute
details to take care of. “By the time I got there, they had already
moved all our stuff inside,” he said.
Johnson will be inheriting a school district that is much different from
the one he left in 1994 - there was the merger between the Rison and
Kingsland School Districts to form the Cleveland County School District,
and the old Rison and Kingsland high schools he was so familiar with
have been replaced with new buildings.
There are also new challenges he will have to face, perhaps the most
pressing being the rising cost of fuel.
Johnson said he’s waiting on the final numbers for the 2008 fiscal year
to wrap up before deciding what measures may need to be taken. The
school district’s fiscal year ended Monday, June 30.
But even without the numbers, Johnson said he knows he has a challenge
ahead. He said he’s aware that the state is considering helping out
school districts with transportation costs, but no firm decision on that
matter has been made.
Johnson does have some experience stretching fuel budgets through his job
as transportation director at DeWitt.
He pointed out that consolidation of the Gillett and Humphrey School
Districts with DeWitt created, geographically, one of the largest school
districts in the state, covering about 900 square miles.
Johnson was hesitant to predict any possible scenarios for the Cleveland
County District, but he did acknowledge that rising fuel costs have some
school administrators thinking about some pretty radical changes.
One idea being floated is reducing the school week by one day, from five
to four days a week.
Johnson said the four-day week idea is picking up steam in some quarters,
and there are a lot of positives about it. Not only does it reduce fuel
needs by 20 percent (four versus five days a week), Johnson pointed out
that it also saves on utilities since the schools are operating one day
less each week, and it reduces the wear-and-tear on the school buses.
But Johnson was quick to point out, however, there are drawbacks to the
four-day week as well, perhaps the most significant being the fact
parents with small children will have to find someone to watch their
kids one day a week.
Johnson said another fuel-saving option is consolidating bus routes, or
having groups of students meet at pre-designated areas along the bus
route to shorten the daily distances the buses have to travel.
While some school districts may seriously consider these options, Johnson
said neither is on the table as of now for the Cleveland County School
District.
Another issue that Johnson has on his plate is the completion of the new
baseball-softball complex at the Rison campus.
When the Cleveland County School District gave the project the green
light in 2007, the original intentions were to have it ready by the 2008
baseball and softball seasons. Instead, wet site conditions put the
project several weeks behind schedule.
Johnson reported Tuesday, however, that the fences around both fields are
expected to be completed within the next week or so, and installation of
the lights and the underground irrigation systems will follow that.
While the school board has yet to approve any bids on the lights, Johnson
said he has received a cost estimate from one company for about $15,000
for the light fixtures for both fields. He noted that price does not
include the cross arms or the wooden light poles that would be used to
mount the light. Treated Materials, Inc. in Rison has agreed to donate
the light poles to the school district as long as the district takes
care of the transportation cost and installation.
Johnson noted they have run into a slight dilemma on placing the light
poles at the softball field. He said the outfield fence extends almost
to the drop-off at the back of the property, which is going to make it
difficult for a truck to get in there to place the poles outside the
fence. He said the location may require them to rethink the placement of
the light poles at the softball field.
Other than fuel costs and the baseball-softball complex, Johnson said
there are no other major projects on his agenda at this time.
“I don’t plan on moving in here and making a lot of changes,” he said. “I
just don’t think that’s kosher.”
Instead, Johnson said any changes that will be considered will likely
come from the building administrators instead.
One other decision Johnson said he hasn’t made is when he plans on
retiring.
At age 62, it would be easy to think Johnson already has his eyes set on
retirement, but that wouldn’t be accurate. Johnson said he hasn’t really
given retirement much thought, and in fact, after shedding 50 lbs. on a
recent diet, he’s feeling better now than he has in years.
“This may not be may last (house) move, but I do intend to make this last
my last career move,” he said. “How long will I be here? I really can’t
say.”
While there may be a little less of him these days, Johnson wanted to
make sure the public understands he’s the same Johnnie Johnson they’ve
always known.
“I’m the same ol’ Johnnie Johnson I’ve always been. I’m in it for the
community,” he said. “I want them to know I have the same open-door
policy I had when I was here the last time. They can feel free to come
by to visit me at the office or even at my house.” |
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