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C-W Superintendent of Schools Bob Ehlke Readies for Retirement  Share
With July 1 only a month away, Superintendent of Schools Bob Ehlke is experiencing a lot of ''lasts.'' He has a few more ''lasts'' to go with his last budget report, his last graduation, and soon he will conduct his last board meeting, all of which leads to reflecting on his career, not just the seven years he spent in the Casey-Westfield District, but his entire career as an educator. ''Wherever I've been,'' Ehlke said, ''I feel I've made improvements to both facilities and programs.'' He said he's been involved in a lot of improvement projects along the way, and a lot of them have been community driven. He recalled the improvements in Shelbyville where they built an all-weather track and sports complex, and in Casey with the re-building of the football field and now the track, projects that have been community driven.
Although one might expect the recent building project to be a highlight of his career, Ehlke said he looked at it differently since it was ''something wonderful that came out of a need.'' ''It wasn't planned for like some of the other projects I've been involved in,'' he added. High on his list of improvements that were important to him was bringing more technology into the classroom, something that was beneficial to students, faculty and residents. ''I've really tried to concentrate on people in my career,'' he said. ''I've tried to put the people first, including anyone who came into my office. You can't think only of money. We're in the people business; a school is not a factory building cars, and it's not just students' lives we're building. For everyone who works here, we expect them to improve and to grow, no matter who they are or what they do.'' In summing up his career, he said, ''I feel like I have made a difference, and that's all a person can really ask for.'' Now he's ready for new experiences even though he has no specific plans for retirement. He and his wife are going to Australia in October to visit friends and tour Australia and New Zealand. ''I plan to enjoy life,'' he said, and enjoying life includes camping, fishing, golfing, and relaxing. Ehlke and his wife are both musicians, and both like contemporary Christian music. ''I would like to get more involved in music ministry,'' he said. ''I've not written any songs, but I've re-written songs, changing them from popular to Christian. Whatever I do, I will definitely be involved in some type of ministry.'' Retirement may also bring the opportunity to experiment with another one of his interests. He enjoys ethnic food, including Mexican and Thai, and recently tried alligator bites and escargot. One can only imagine what other exotic tastes await as he leaves the world of academia and seeks new experiences. Sharon Durham is a staff writer for the Casey Reporter.
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