Lone Rock Elementary School Superintendent David Cluff has announced his intention to resign at the end of the current school year.
In his letter of resignation, Cluff noted that former Lone Rock Superintendent Dennis Kimzey had told him
that he had found in his long career in public school administration that you should set your goals and try to accomplish those goals within about a six-year period.
“At the end of June, I will have completed my sixth year at Lone Rock. I set our goals to be academic excellence, great teachers, happy well-behaved children, delicious food and a tight-knit community working together with pride and a contagious spirit,” wrote Cluff.
Cluff believes that he has met those goals as well as could be expected.
He noted that Lone Rock is the only district in Ravalli County to make AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) two years in a row. He takes that as evidence of the school’s continued commitment to academic excellence. The school received a $1,000,000 Striving Readers Grant under his administration that has bolstered the district’s academic growth with technology, professional development and curriculum materials that will yield value for years to come.
Cluff notes that, during his administration, the community came together and, by a 2 to 1 margin, approved a bond levy to build a new physical education building and that the money, acquired through a Quality School Grants program to design a plan for the building and pay for the steel infrastructure to the tune of $213,000, has been included in the Governor’s budget request this year.
Now in its fourth year, with 60 kids showing up daily for fun, friendship and learning, Cluff states that the EXCEL after-school program has exceeded all expectations.
“We have middle school students who love to read, and we have a mentoring program where our youngest learners have buddies from middle school who are teaching them the Lone Rock way. And while the youngest students are swimming in this wonderful pool of nurture and caring, our senior citizens are now expanding their little coffee club into a grand vision of a community center. A lot has been done,” wrote Cluff.
Cluff is humble about his own role in achieving these accomplishments. He notes that it is the teachers, students, parents and the community as a whole that have kept the ball rolling.
“Lone Rock is right where it has always wanted to be, a beacon to families everywhere who want to send their children to the quintessential country school. I am well satisfied to have been a part of this remarkable story,” he wrote.
Cluff’s resignation will not take effect until the end of the current school year. He notified the district early of his intentions to allow them ample time to find a suitable replacement.