Dr. John Gunn addresses Chamber of Commerce

“Growing up, my life was filled
with holidays, Sunday dinners, and
celebrations,” McCreary County
School District Superintendent Dr.
John Gunn noted as he addressed
the McCreary County Chamber
of Commerce during their August
meeting. “I had more cousins than
you could shake a stick at. It was
wonderful having all the family
and good times, but it also meant
you had that many more people to
hold you accountable.”
Acknowledging that it can take a
bit of time for a newcomer to settle
into a new community, Superintendent
Gunn said he is pleased to be
in McCreary County and extended
his thanks to the community for the
warm welcome they have extended
to him and his family.
Superintendent Gunn, who assumed
his responsibilities as
McCreary County School District
Superintendent on July 1, 2022,
outlined his professional background
for Chamber members and
guests. Gunn began his educational
career by serving as a special
educator for ten years. He was a
principal on two separate occasions,
first as principal at a nontraditional
high school (including
at-risk and behaviorally challenged
students) and secondly, as principal
at Hopkinsville (KY) High School. Gunn also worked previously at the Central Office level, including serving as Director of Pupil Personnel, Assistant Superintendent, and Secondary Supervisor.
In addition to his career in education, Superintendent Gunn shared that, over time, he has worked at a variety of jobs to help support his family. Superintendent Gunn acknowledged time spent as a bus driver, groundskeeper, youth soccer coach, and in other diverse endeavors.
Dr. Gunn provided detailed facts about the District including the following:
-The District has 233 certified employees and 255 classified for a total of 488 employees.
-Student enrollment is as follows: 729 high school students, 612 middle school students, 543 students at Whitley City Elementary, and 832 students at Pine Knot Elementary. Thirty students are enrolled virtually. There are a total of 2, 716 students enrolled in the District.
-The District finances $2.2 million in monthly payroll and approximately $19 million in annual payroll.
-The District served 464,606 meals last year and recently served 3,230 meals in one day.
-The District owns 175 acres of property.
Superintendent Gunn commented on a few “hot” topic items of interest to parents and the public including the following:
School safety-Superintendent Gunn noted the local Sheriff’s Department is currently assisting the school system while additional school law enforcement officers (SLEOs) are being hired and trained.
Transportation-Superintendent Gunn emphasized the need for additional bus drivers, noting bus drivers are paid for five hours per day and receive full benefits.
Traffic flow-Gunn observed the district is working on traffic flow and noted the need for another exit to HWY 27.
Superintendent Gunn emphasized schools need to be involved in the community. To involve the community, Superintendent Gunn plans to organize a parent advisory group soon. He urged all to reach out to him with ideas, questions, or concerns.
“I will call you back,” Gunn promised.

In other Chamber news
McCreary County Public Librarian Grady Wilson spoke to the Chamber about the upcoming kick-off event for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Noting there are approximately 1,000 children (ages 0-5 years) in McCreary County, the program provides free books for registered children in that age group. The Friends of the McCreary County Public Library group continue to seek donations from sponsors for the program. The kickoff event will be September 15. For more details, see page of this week’s Voice.
In additional announcements, the Chamber announced the September 21 meeting with McCreary County’s new state Senator, Robert Stivers. The meeting will be held at the Heritage Hall at noon in Stearns.
The McCreary County Chamber of Commerce annual Awards Banquet will be October 25, 2022 at the Heritage Hall.