Lewis seeks smooth transition

HUMBOLDT — Kay Lewis is getting better about identifying herself on the phone.
“When I call somebody, I’ll occasionally say, ‘It’s Kay Bolt from Humboldt,’  and then I’ll catch myself,” she said with a laugh. “I got married. It’s Lewis now.”
Lewis’ marriage to Tim Lewis was the first step in a whirlwind summer for USD 258’s new superintendent of schools.
Bolt, who served as Humboldt Elementary School principal the previous 13 years, took office July 1.
As with other educators across the state, Lewis is in the midst of gearing up for the start of the 2015-16 school year.
With enrollment behind her — it was Wednesday and Thursday — Lewis has her sights set on getting USD 258’s budget approved for the upcoming year, and prepping buildings for the start of classes on Aug. 20.
“Being a new person, it probably takes me longer than a regular person, until I get used to the way things roll,” she jokes.
It shouldn’t take her long to get the hang of things.
Lewis is entering her 31st year as an educator; the first 15 as a teacher and administrator at Altoona-Midway, before she moved to USD 257 to teach at McKinley and LaHarpe elementary schools. She stayed there for two years before taking over as principal at Humboldt Elementary. The last two years, her responsibility expanded to include Humboldt Middle School.
“I thought at some point in time I’d end up as a school superintendent, but it had to be the right job,” Lewis said. “This place happened to be the right fit. It’s a wonderful district. We have a lot of community involvement in our district. That’s what I wanted to be a part of.”
During her tenure at HES, Bolt secured grant funding for increased technology. The state-of-the-art program was the centerpiece of Humboldt Elementary Charter School.
While the district gave up the “charter school” designation, the technology remains, as do many of the same philosophies Lewis incorporated.
“The reason we quit being a charter school was because we weren’t getting any more money,” she explained. “We are continuing doing the work we said we would under the charter. But now, we don’t have to do more paperwork.”
Even more importantly, the district can expand the technology resources to other buildings in the district, she noted.

LEWIS IS eager to work extensively with Board of Education members, her administrative team, teachers and district patrons to help USD 258’s ongoing strategic planning process.
“This year, my plan is for the district to come up with clear-cut goals and strategies on how we will reach those goals,” she said. “First and foremost, we do what’s best for kids. That’s our vision. We’re going to take care of students first, to try to make sure we have a well-rounded student when they leave Humboldt.”

THERE are a multitude of strengths throughout the district, Lewis notes proudly.
Students from the lowest elementary school grade levels up through high school traditionally rank among the state’s best in terms of achievement test scores. Athletics and other clubs also are humming along nicely, with plenty of community support.
“We have a very strong community, and the people here are very proud of their community,” she said. “They’re proud of their school, and the facilities we have.
“Our buildings are very good, and infrastructure is very good,” Lewis added.
But challenges are ever-present.
Like other districts, Lewis will keep her eyes on the goings-on within the State Legislature.
“The biggest concern is the budget,” she said. “They have said they weren’t going to cut K-12 funding any more. I hope so.”

LEWIS ADMITS she’ll miss being principal; particularly the day-to-day interaction with students.
“You always miss kids,” she said. “One thing I want to do is make sure I’m in those buildings, hopefully on a daily basis, and I’ll go into those classrooms. That’s where I think I can make the biggest difference. I can make good decisions based on what I see in classrooms, what their needs are.
“I want teachers to realize that even though I moved up, I first started as a teacher, and I know what they have to go through,” Lewis continued. “I know the day-to-days. And I don’t want to be removed from that.”