Star-Journbal Editor
Meet announcer and USD 410 Superintendent Gordon Mohn wore a ball cap with the letter H embroidered on it Friday as he sat high in the press box at the James Thomas Invitational track and field meet in Hillsboro.
But as of June 30, Mohn will exchange that cap and the rest of his maroon and gold Hillsboro Trojan wardrobe for red and white, the team colors of the McPherson Bullpups.
After 14 years as USD 410 superintendent and three years as principal at Hillsboro High School, Mohn called an all-district meeting April 23 to announce that he had accepted an offer to become assistant superintendent of USD 418.
Mohn will wear several red and white hats in his new job, including director of special education, which provides Head Start other programs to McPherson and the four other school districts in the county, Smoky Valley, Inman, Moundridge, and Canton-Galva.
Mohn's departure comes as no surprise to board president Rod Koons.
"Gordon had applied for a few jobs here and there in the last couple of years," Koons said. "But he'd always inform us when he applied for stuff."
Mohn, 57, says he is "already several years past" the required 85 years of combined age and length of service needed for fully-vested retirement.
Mohn's decision to leave USD 410, take his pension and take another job at USD 418 comes with the territory, Koons added.
"You see a lot of people in his age group do that," said Koons, who added that Hillsboro's loss is McPherson's gain.
"The children in that county are very fortunate to be getting someone of his quality to lead their special ed program," Koons said. "And we're excited for him. It's a very good district."
Mohn will leave shortly after the June 5 special election for a $6.625 million building and sports facility project.
While Mohn has been involved with the project from its conception, Koons says it would be inaccurate to think of the proposed project as Gordon Mohn's bond issue.
"I think people need to realize that it's not his pet project," Koons said. "He's been active and instrumental in putting the project together, but not without a lot of input from the board and others in the community."
Regardless of the vote, Koons says Mohn's legacy won't be in bricks and mortar, but in the other contributions he made to the district.
"Our previous superintendent had building projects as a big part of his tenure, but that hasn't been a big part of Gordon's," Koons said. "For his legacy, look at our state assessment results, the quality of employees that we have, and the longevity of our staff."
Another measure of Mohn's effectiveness has been his ability to mentor others, Koons said.
"Look at the people who have served under Gordon, and where they've gone," he said. "There are high school principals and superintendents in the state who have some direct tie back into Hillsboro, and that speaks well of him."
Mohn and his wife, Vicky, who owns Vicky's School of Dance in downtown Hillsboro, will be putting their house up for sale and moving to McPherson.
"Vicky will continue her dance school for at least a year, but our intent is to be there a year from now, and sooner if we can," Mohn said. "You can't be a part of a school system and not live there. I can't anyway."
Mohn says he accepted the McPherson job after "taking his time" looking for "one last" career opportunity. But the job had to be with a "quality school district, in a quality community and somewhere in Central Kansas."
The Mohns' adult children Jason,
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Jenny, and Jeremy, and six grandchildren all live in Kansas. Being close to them was a priority, he added.
With his passion for "being an advocate for children who have been challenged," Mohn's new job is the opportunity he was searching for.
"And there are a lot of similarities between McPherson and Hillsboro in the quality of people in the district and community," Mohn said. "The size is different, but other things are about the same."
A Hillsboro native, Mohn was graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1968. He received his bachelor's degree from Tabor College and master's degree from Fort Hays State University.
He began his teaching career in the early 1970's as a social studies teacher, football, basketball, and track coach at Jetmore High School.
Said Mohn of his brief career on the sidelines, "We were mediocre at best, probably because of the coach."
Mohn relocated to Belleville High in northern Kansas, where he moved up the administrative ranks to the principal's office in 1989-90. The following year, he came back to his hometown to become principal of Hillsboro High School.
Three years later, in 1992, Mohn replaced retiring Dr. Robert C. Brown as superintendent.
When he came back to Hillsboro, most of the district's current facilities had already been built or were on the drawing board. Mohn said his role as superintendent was to add quality staff and curriculum.
"We spent a lot of money on facilities [including the new middle school], but in order to do that they cut staff," Mohn said. "At the high school they were getting by with one math, one science, and one technology teacher."
In addition to adding more teachers, Mohn added a librarian and a middle school counselor.
Mohn also helped to bring new sports to the district, including baseball, softball, cross country, and wrestling.
"They didn't have those when I started," Mohn said.
When it comes to team colors, Mohn has no qualms about switching to red and white, and becoming a rabid Bullpup fan.
It all comes with the job.
"Publicly, yes, you change," he said. "You think of all these high profile basketball coaches who love their universities and then go to somewhere else."
(College coaches are wearing their new school's colors and whistling the fight song as they get off the plane).
"It's part of life," Mohn added. "You've got to want to connect where you're going and be a part of that."
But changing his attire won't change the feelings Mohn has in his heart for his hometown.
"I'm pretty much committed to Hillsboro," he said. "I grew up here, I believe in Hillsboro."
