Throughout his time at SHS, from age 22 to age 43, he has developed relationships with the different students and staff members, as they have gotten to know him as a teacher, dean, assistant principal and friend.

Current SHS assistant principal Kirby Schott is leaving SHS after spending almost half of his life working in the building. He will be the new director of facilities for Perry Township as of May 1. This means that he will oversee all of the buildings in the district, and make sure all construction reaches completion, including the new kindergarten centers, which are currently in the process of being built.

“(I’ll miss), predominantly, the people and the relationships that I’ve developed with both students and staff,” Schott said.

Schott also says that he hopes he has had a good impact SHS students and staff, so that they feel the same way he feels about them. He also says that he will miss many of the people he has worked with, as they have become his friends and left a good impression on him.  

Among those that are going to miss Schott is principal Brian Knight.

“For me personally, he’s a level-headed guy that’s always good to be able to go bounce ideas off of, chat with and get his perspective when you’re dealing with bigger things,” Knight said.

Before becoming an assistant principal, Schott was a dean for 12 years. Before that, he was a math teacher for seven years and, at the time, his room was located across from another math teacher, Patricia Blake. Now, he has been an assistant principal for two years.

“I’ve been happy at Southport…” Schott said. “I’ve always liked the positions I’ve had.”

Although his 21 years in the field of education began at SHS, the entirety of his working years has not always been limited to SHS. He worked in the building industry and mostly did residential construction before beginning his career path in education, which is how he knew that he would enjoy taking this new position.

In order to get to this new position of what he considers the “nuts and bolts of school,” Schott had to go through interviews and get approved by the school board. This is similar to what the next assistant principal will have to do before being approved to fill his spot.

Who is to take Schott’s place is still not yet known. According to Knight, the township is asking that someone already working in the district takes his place, similar to the way Schott will take the spot of the current director of facilities, Mark Westfall, who has recently decided to retire.

“It’s a great place here. I’ll miss it,” Schott said. “I’ll be around. I won’t be too far away.”