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New principals eager for school year to begin

Sports reporter

It's always exciting when a new principal comes to a school district.

This year, Marion-Florence USD 408 will have twice the fun.

Rod Garman, new Marion Elementary School principal, and Jim Piper, new Marion High School principal, have already begun working for USD 408.

Their first task for the new year — enrollment.

"It was wonderful," Garman said. "I met lots of new people and it was very well organized."

Garman, a native of Kiowa, attended Bethel College where he played tennis and was a swim coach in the summer.

After Bethel, Garman went to Washburn to study law. His wife Kristin "knocked some sense in him" when she told him to go into education because he loved working with kids.

So Garman stayed in Topeka and earned his master's in education from Washburn.

He then taught for eight years in the Topeka-Seaman district before landing the K-8 principal job at Minneola.

Now, four years later, he is the K-6 MES principal.

Garman said he wasn't really looking for the job, but he and Kristin were looking to make one more move at some point.

"I turned in [the application] at the last minute and thought, 'at least I tried,'" Garman said.

But after interviews, tours of the facilities, and meet-and-greets with the staff, Garman was offered the job.

He jumped at the chance, especially after meeting the staff and other administrators.

"I really thought [Superintendent Lee] Leiker's views of the school were really in line with mine," he said, "and I was real impressed with the teachers and how they talked about their students. They were very professional, and striving to want more."

He also felt Marion was the right size community for his family, which includes second-graders-to-be and twins, Cooper and Janson.

"I just felt for my kids this would be a great fit," Garman said. "I really like the direction the community is going."

That same idea is what was appealing to Piper, who received bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education, with a minor in social science, from Emporia State University.

He also may have a little purple in his blood due to the fact his recently married daughter Tanya Riley graduated from Kansas State University.

After attending her wedding on a Friday in June, he packed up all his boxes that weekend and moved to Marion the next Monday.

A former teacher, coach, and principal, Piper has spent time in Hill City, Cherokee Southeast, Hartford, Louisburg, Johnson-Stanton County, and Waubunsee high schools.

He knows how to spot a good district when he sees one.

"I did some research on the district and there are some positive things going on," Piper said. "I want to carry on with all the good things that are happening and then see if there are things we can do to provide students with the best education we can."

The school building project, which includes a new auditorium and gymnasium/indoor pool, was a plus for both administrators.

They knew of the project from reading the Marion County Record before moving to town, and Garman joked it's why they hired him.

"I told Mr. Leiker the only reason they hired me was because of my swimming background," he said with a laugh.

Garman, who also was junior high athletic director at Minneola, and Piper who has been a basketball, football, wrestling, and golf coach, aren't looking to take the reigns of any teams while in Marion.

Both think activities are a needed part of school, but want to focus more on their administrative positions.

"I was really busy," Garman said of his time in Minneola. "I loved it though."

Piper agreed with Garman that while it's great to be involved with activities, he is going to let others take care of that department.

"Academics are always number one," Piper said.

He will be working with Marion Middle School principal and district activities director Tod Gordon on a daily basis to make sure both academics and activities are balanced.

With the combined middle/high school campus — something Garman has never experienced, Gordon will be a big asset for Piper.

"We'll be working closely together to make things run as smoothly as possible," Piper said. "He'll be a big help, especially in the first year."

Another person who can help Piper is his wife Irma who will be working right across the hall in the library as media specialist.

Irma has a master's degree in social science, and has been an English teacher in the past.

"Her position helped make the decision [to come to Marion] easier," Piper said.

No matter what decisions or paths the two principals have made or taken, they now both find themselves as part of Marion-Florence USD 408.

With extensive education experience tucked away in their back pockets, it's time for them to use it to help make the school system the best in can be for students.

"I'm coming in open-minded. I have no agenda," Garman said. "I believe it's people that make the school, not the programs. If you've got good people, education will be successful."

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