Retiring MP superintendent: Diploma more crucial than ever
MOUNTAIN PINE — Mountain Pine School Superintendent Bobby Applegate, who is retiring after 29 years in education, says so much has changed in education over the past three decades that a high school diploma is more important now than ever.
Applegate, hired by the district in May 2016, announced his retirement in October during a regular monthly board meeting. The board hired Earle School District Superintendent Tish Knowles earlier this year as the district’s next superintendent. Originally set to begin her position on July 1, the board approved to hire Knowles on May 3 as interim superintendent, effective May 15. She will serve as interim until she begins her regular position on July 1.
“Basically we want her to come in and be able to start making decisions for next year,” Applegate said. “The budget’s going to be on her for next year, the new hiring and stuff, she’s going to be able to do all of that being an interim superintendent, and that’s the reason they went ahead and brought her in because she was able to get out of her contract.
“I want her to come in and hire who she wants to, work with her budget, make the decisions for next year, and that way, that’s her decisions and she can move on and do what she wants to do.”
Applegate said Tuesday he had put his paperwork in to retire but if some other opportunity comes open in education that he feels would be a great fit, he might get back into education.
Mountain Pine’s graduation is scheduled for May 17 at 7 p.m. on the football field with weather permitting.
“Given the world has changed so much now, graduating with a high school diploma is a really big deal,” Applegate said. “Because if
you don’t have a high school diploma right now, it’s really hard to get out and do anything and accomplish anything in the world.”
Graduation, he noted, represents students ending one chapter of their lives and beginning another.
“Being able to see these kids from when they’re little all the way ‘till they grow up and mature and able to graduate, you know, that’s the biggest part for me is get these kids graduated and prepared for the real world — whether it be for college or going to work,” he said.
“It’s just amazing when we have graduation to give these kids diplomas, especially some of them that you thought would never make it and overcome a lot of adversity and obstacles in their life just to finish high school. That means a lot to me and as an educator, getting these kids ready is what we’re here for.”
He said graduation is all about the students. For some who graduate, they are the first in their families to do so, he said.
“People need to realize how important it is now because, you can’t get in the military without a high school diploma,” he said. “You can’t go out and get good jobs without a high school diploma. I’m not saying that you can’t go out and make good money, because I know a lot of people that don’t have a high school diploma that has went and made it good in the real world. But right now for just the ‘regular Joe,’ a high school diploma really does mean a lot, more than it did 30, 40 years ago.”
Applegate said he is proud of the agricultural program at the school that has helped prepare students for careers in welding, electricians, and other fields. He said he feels as an educator, it is important to prepare the students for the “real world” because not every student goes to college.
Applegate said he is also proud of the district’s Community-based Instruction program for special education students, along with the staff that has been built in the district.
“We’ve hardly had to hire any teachers in the past couple of years. I brought that family atmosphere to the Mountain Pine School District and we all get along where it’s all great, and bringing more students in. When I first got here, we were down to 492 kids and now we’re up to around close to 600. And all those things is not because of me, it’s because the community has come together and built the school back to where it needs to be and I’m very proud of all of that,” he said.
Applegate said he is going to miss the faculty and staff at Mountain Pine as everyone has become like family to him.