An era at Powell High School will soon be coming to an end.

Principal Mr. James Kuhn announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2018-19 school year, last Friday, Dec. 14, during a staff meeting.

Mr Kuhn, currently in his seventh year at PHS, sat down with the Prowl staff to discuss the reasons for retiring and to reflect on his 40-plus years in education.

QUESTION: How does it feel?

ANSWER: Strange. I’ve been going to school since I was 6years old, and I’ll be turning 65 in January. So to think about not going to school next year is kind of a scary situation for me because it’s kind of just what I’ve always done.

Q: What drove your decision to retire?

A: Well, I’ve got seven grandchildren with with an eighth one on the way and they’re all back in Kansas and Texas. I haven’t been able to get to as many as their activities as I’ve wanted. My oldest one is 12 and he plays soccer and basketball and my granddaughters play soccer, basketball and are in dance. One of my grandsons plays winter baseball down in Houston, Texas, and I haven’t been able to watch them do that stuff. They’re getting older and I’d like to be able to watch them do a bunch of that stuff before they get out of high school because I can’t believe I’ve got a 12-year-old grandson already.

Q: In your 42-year career,  where does your time at Powell High School place on a scale?

A: I would put (Powell High School) at the head and shoulders, above any place else I’ve been and I’ve been is some really good school systems. I was in five different school systems in Kansas over 35 years before I moved here. I really enjoyed my time in Kansas, but when I had the opportunity to come to Powell, that was just like ‘Hey! You’re in the big leagues now.’ So I would put this at the top. Without a doubt the best kids I’ve ever been around in my career have been in Powell. The teachers are just great people to work with. The community supports education so well. It’s just a great place to be.

Q: Out of all of your time at PHS, what has been your favorite memories?

A: Oh boy. There are so many of them. I think the number of National Merit Scholarship winners we’ve had. The number of students that have received the STARR Scholarships. The University of Wyoming Trustees scholarship. Our academics, I think, are head and shoulders above any place I’ve been with what our students accomplish. I’m really proud of that. Just proud of the decision-making skills of the student body as a whole. We just don’t really do many dumb things here. I think a lot of it has to do with the senior leadership that we’ve had every year, because our seniors take care of a lot of problems by example, and by pulling aside a younger student and saying, ‘Hey, that’s not the way we do things here,’ and that is huge. One of the most impressive things that I’ve been here. And of course, athletics and activities. We’ve won state contests in speech and drama. We’ve won state football. We’ve just got stuff all over the board on what we’ve been successful at. Just the overall feeling of success and the positive nature of what Powell High School is.

Q: What have been the greatest lessons you’ve learned in all  of your career?

A: Give people a second chance.

Q: What has been your favorite moment as a principal?

A: I don’t know if I’ve got one that stands out. There’s just been a lot of students that I’ve been proud of. Students you kind of worried about them even being able to graduate and then, not only do they graduate, they flip the switch somewhere and they graduate with honors. To see kids overcome things like that … there are so many kids that I remember that I couldn’t even begin to name them all.

Q: What advice do you have for any future PHS principals?

A: It’s a great place to be. Trust your teachers, trust your students until they don’t deserve the trust anymore, but give them a chance. Err on the side of being compassionate. I think that’s a big key.

Q: Is there anything you want to say to past and present students of Powell High School?

A: I love you guys.