SOMERS — After three decades in education in Montana, Paul Jenkins has learned a few strategies for mentoring and teaching young students.
When one student defiantly called the superintendent in the Somers-Lakeside school district by his first name, Jenkins turned the tables by referring to the student as “Mr. Wilson.” When another student claimed once he was treated unfairly, Jenkins sat him down, listened to his story and admitted the young boy was right.
“When I have to draw a line, I can draw a line and they know it. But really it’s about laughing with them, giving them validation and sitting down and listening to them. You need to listen,” he said recently from inside his small office in Somers Middle School.
Last week, after watching another eighth-grade class graduate and move on to high school, Jenkins himself bowed out. The 64-year-old has retired as superintendent of the Somers-Lakeside district. Joe Price is replacing Jenkins this month.
Jenkins is among another class of longtime educators bidding farewell to the local classrooms and schools this spring. In Kalispell, seven staff members with a combined 218 years of service in the education field retired. The teachers were Allen Slater, band director at Flathead High School with 37 years experience; Bonnie Streeter, a botany and earth science teacher at Glacier High School with 33 years experience; Dee Manning, a second grade teacher at Elrod with 32 years experience; Marilyn Kirack, a para-educator at Hedges with 32 years experience; Sue Hanson, speech and language pathologist at Russell with 30 years experience; Duane Thramer, a custodian at Kalispell Middle School with 28 years experience; and Linda Pensa, a librarian at Russell with 26 years experience.
“That people served our schools for over 25 years shows a deep loyalty to education and to the area. It’s remarkable to have that over 154 years of combined service,” said Kalispell Superintendent Mark Flatau.
Jenkins is retiring after 39 years as an educator, including 30 in Montana. He moved here from Massachusetts in search of better skiing and landed a job as a principal in Absarokee. After that he moved west and took a job in Helena Flats, where he worked for 20 years, followed by a three-year stint in Charlo before coming to Lakeside-Somers.
Working in rural school districts has had its challenges, primarily juggling budget needs without spiking property taxes and the constant competition with larger urban school districts that boast bigger and sometimes better education programs.
But Jenkins has remained passionate about rural schools because they have offered a small, intimate learning environment for kids.
“I’ve been fortunate to be in schools where I really get to mingle with the kids,” he said.
The role of an educator in a rural district is constantly evolving with more responsibilities, Jenkins said, but inevitably it is some of the most rewarding work available.
Having accomplished a meaningful career, Jenkins is eager to enjoy more of that powder skiing he came to Montana chasing.
Correction (June 14): Joe Price is replacing Jenkins as the new superintendent in Lakeside-Somers.