Church Accepts Superintendent Position at Hamilton
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Church Accepts Superintendent Position at Hamilton
By Mike Scott
A long-time Clark County R-1 administrator is leaving the school district.
Jason Church, who has served as the Middle School principal for the past 19 years, has been named the new Superintendent at Hamilton, Illinois.
“I wasn’t really looking a job. I’ve been approached several times over the past few years,’ Church said.
“I had some people from the community and some people I know reach out, and it kind of peaked my interest.”
Hamilton CCSD #328 has an enrollment of around 800 students, so it’s a slightly smaller district than Clark County.
“The change in responsibility will be a change for me, but the commitment to kids and the values that the community and district hold important to them are very similar to what we have here in Clark County,” he continued.
Church noted that while laws and school funding are different in Illinois, many things will be similar.
“There’s nothing magical about the three-quarters of a mile between Alexandria and Hamilton. Kids are kids. What makes good education makes good education, and what makes a good teach makes a good teacher.”
And what makes a good teacher in 2024?
“I think you have to show up every day and kids need to know that you care about them and what they teach. You have to be positive and you have to be enthusiastic. I think if you can relate to kids and have positive relationship with them, you can get them to buy in to learn and want to be better,” he answered.
For the past 42 years, Clark County Middle School has seen only two principals. For the past 19 years, Church has filled that role. Before him, Roger Nimmo served as the principal for 23 years.
“I think middle school kids get a bad rap,” Church said. “Nobody goes to school with the idea that they want to deal with moody, hormonal adolescents who are trying to work their way through the struggles of growing up.”
“But I will tell, very few people who have started here ever wanted to leave. Once they gave it a fair shot and a met kids and found what its really about have really embraced it,” he continued. “It’s an acquired taste, but there’s a lot of positive things about being a middle school principal.”
Church moved to Kahoka in 1975, from Novelty, where his father, Ray Chuch was the principal of a K-8 school. Ray Church also served as a long-time school administrator.
“The first time I saw the Indian come out, I had no desire to do anything but make sure my grades were taken care of so I could play basketball at Clark County. Until I played my last game, it was inspiration for me.”
When Church graduated from CCR-1, his goals were simple.
“I wanted to coach basketball and teach PE. That’s all,” he said.
He attended Northeast Missouri State University, and has the distinction of degrees in back-to-back years from Northeast Missouri and Truman State. He later earned two administrative degrees from William Woods University.
Church taught seventh-grade and freshman science, and middle school and high school PE for eight years, from 1995 until 2002.
“Twenty-one years ago, Kim Frazee retired. He handled all the transportation, custodial, maintenance and was the athletic director,” Church said. He visited with Superintendent Randy Sheriff, and was hired to take that position.
“My dad always told that it’s the ‘Three B’s’ that draw attention in schools: Beans, balls and buses. Food service, athletics and transportation. About 80 percent of the drama that happens in schools is in those three areas, so it was a good way for me to cut my teeth as an administrator right away,” he said.
Two years later, Missouri decreased funding to schools.
“The only meaningful way for schools to cut costs is in personnel,” he said.
The timing coincided with Roger Nimmo’s retirement, and Church became the Middle School principal while continuing many of the other duties, a job he has enjoyed for 19 years.
“I don’t know anyone who has enjoyed their job more over the last 19 years than I have,” he said. “I’m incredibly lucky to have the great kids here in Clark County.”
“I’ve had a former student text me at 12:01am on Father’s Day to thank me for everything I did for her, saying I was more of a father to her than her father was. I have kids stop in all the time or email me about the things I’ve done to help them. And it’s usually the kids that have struggled and spent a lot of ‘quality time’ behind closed doors with me. It’s not that I don’t have good relations with the kids that are successful, but they don’t need me. They didn’t need me to get through school, and some of those kids that you had the biggest problems and fought with come back five, 10 or 15 years later and thank you. That’s the part I will miss the most,” he said.
Fortunately for Church, Hamilton’s Superintendent’s Office is located in their K-8 building.
“That’s good, because I want to be around kids every day,” he said.
“I’m excited about the new challenges. As superintendent, you help kids in different ways. I’ve had the blessing to watch and work with some great administrators over the years,” he said. “My dad, Harold Winn, Lee Lemmon, Dick Tuttle, Frank Berlin, Dr. Sheriff and Dr. Kracht, and Mr. Harper who has been my best friend for going on 47 year. Working with them has been a real blessing and asset for me. Any success I’ve had has been attributed to them and the great job they’ve done setting the course for me.
Church will begin his official duties in Hamilton on July 1.