It was a day for packing up boxes and memories for Dr. Scott Thielman. Wednesday, June 21, was his last day as Kimball Superintendent of Schools. After a brief family vacation in Texas, Thielman will assume superintendent duties at Albany. The graduation of his daughter Whitney on June 1 was tough. After three years in Kimball, Thielman said it was hard to see her and her class walk across the stage. “She was with a great group of kids, and getting to know her classmates was teriffic,” Thielman said. “I’m excited for them and their next leg of life. I think they’re going to be prepared.” Thielman said there have been several highlights of his three-year tenure at Kimball. o Kimball’s merit scholar and finalist, Harrison Hancock and Vanessa Gillman. o Getting the early childhood coalition grant for Kimball, making a connection with families with very young children. Probably his biggest challenge was, after taking on the Kimball superintendent job, learning that Kimball was in bad shape financially, thanks to state funding irregularities. “Funding issues are never going to go away,” said Thielman, adding that Kimball is in the same boat as all schools in the state. “No Child Left Behind” act will also plague school districts in the state. But Kimball stands poised to grow, and Thielman is optimistic about the district’s ability to meet the challenges ahead. John Tritabaugh will begin as Kimball superintendent for one year beginning July 17.
