By Christopher Tenpenny
After 10 years serving in the administration of the Archie School District, Superintendent Jeff Kramer announced he would be retiring at the end of the current school year.
Kramer, known for his ever-present smile while greeting students and faculty members as he walked by, came to Archie in 2012 as the principal of the middle and high schools.
He previously worked at Marshall, but moved to be closer to Kansas City to help with his mother-in-law who was having health issues. Kramer said he fell in love with the school district and the Archie community.
“If you told me I’d still be here 10 years ago I don’t know if I’d have believed you,” Kramer said. “But we have such a supportive community. There’s a stigma with small towns being cliquey, but Archie was never that.”
Kramer made an impression on the community and in just three years, he was promoted to superintendent.
“I loved being a principal, it was probably my favorite job throughout my career. I found it easy to make relationships. When the superintendent position became available, the community was pretty embracing.”
Throughout his tenure at Archie, the students and staff may have seen some changes, but the desire to learn and grow has been there every year.
“We have phenomenal kids who step up in the classroom,” Kramer said. “They look to work hard and do their best. The staff is always looking to grow and has a supportive mindset. I honestly couldn’t ask for a better place to work.”
Kramer had a heart attack in April and experienced another life-threatening scare in August related to the same heart condition. Kramer and his family decided it would be in his best interest to relieve the stress that comes with being a superintendent and to retire after the current school year.
While Kramer’s time at Archie is coming to a close, he said you can still expect to see his smiling face around town.
“I’ve made life-long friends here and I plan on being around and being the biggest cheerleader. We’ve got so many kids going off and doing exciting things and I’ll be around to brag about them,” Kramer said.
The Archie School Board announced in its December meeting that it would conduct an outside search to fill the position.