Kevin Sipple retires as school superintendent in Boyceville
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KEVIN SIPPLE
By LeAnn R. Ralph
BOYCEVILLE — After working in the Boyceville school district for 11 years, two years as middle school and high school principal and nine years as superintendent, Kevin Sipple retired at the end of the school year.
Prior to serving as the middle school and high school principal in Boyceville, Sipple served as a principal in Shell Lake.
During his time in education, Sipple has observed many changes, especially in recent years.
“I think there has been significant changes in education in the past few years. I see much more top down oversight from Madison to the public schools now than what we once had, (and) more testing of students and more student information being shared with the government,” he said.
“I think teaching has become more complex. We have more children with high needs now and many of those needs are very complex. Finding qualified teachers and staff is a significant issue now. We are at an all time low in terms of the numbers of candidates we have applying for vacancies,” Sipple said.
The students were Sipple’s favorite part of the job.
“I like our students. They come prepared to learn every day, and I enjoy the energy they bring to school,” he said.
The people in the Boyceville community and the school community are going to be what Sipple misses most in retirement.
“The people who live in the school district care about their children, and they respect the people who work in our schools. I will miss that connection,” he said.
The winter of 2018-2019, especially February of 2019, is one that many people in this area are never going to forget, but the winter weather was perhaps especially memorable for school superintendents.
When asked to describe something memorable that happened while he was superintendent, Sipple replied, “Eleven snow/inclement weather days in one school year is memorable.”
Weather also is responsible for something Sipple is anticipating in retirement.
“I am looking forward to not having to be up early in the morning for six months, checking the weather. I will get up early, I just won’t need to worry about making a difficult decision,” he said.
As for anything else he would like people to know, Sipple said, “Just a huge thank you to everyone for the opportunity I was given to lead in Boyceville. It was an honor and a special time for me.”