The CHIEF February 2025

Happy Retirement, Mr. Kilgore! By Hannah Ricketts

After an admirable twenty years working here at PTHS, Mr. Kilgore, our superintendent, is finally taking his well-earned retirement. As a tribute to him, we felt that it would only be right to interview him one last time and wish him farewell. The majority of us, as students, have only ever known Mr. Kilgore as the superintendent. However, while this is how he spent the end of his career, it didn’t begin there. He grew up in a western suburb of Chicago—Elgin, IL—where his mom was a teacher at his school. He played sports throughout high school and had wonderful social studies teachers that were very passionate and made learning relatable. After high school, he went to Illinois State University. He received his BA in Education, MA in Educational Administration, and finally a Superintendent Specialist Degree, all from ISU. When he was first hired at PTHS, he was our Assistant Principal and Athletic Director, but before that, he taught history and coached track and football at various schools around Illinois. Two years later, he would go on to become our principal, and five years after that, he became our superintendent. However, what does the job of a superintendent entail? A big part of his job is creating and managing the school budget! He ensures that there is money for minor things, such as toilet paper, but also big projects like the renovation of the commons and auditorium, as well as the new weight room. Something that you might not realize is that being engaged with the local community is an important part of being a superintendent. He sits on many committees and boards in our community, and says that it’s really important to stay connected with people through service and leadership. When asked what the most rewarding part of his job was, he says that it’s getting to see community members and students benefit from the projects he works on. He is always considering what is best for the students when making decisions for the school. Mr. Kilgore said that he will miss the people at PTHS the most; they made coming to work not only enjoyable, but also something that he looked forward to every day. If he could go back in time and give his younger self one piece of advice, he would say, “Trust your gut feelings and enjoy every minute because before you know it, your career will be in its twilight. And, be sure to give your family all the time they deserve.” It was a pleasure getting to know Mr. Kilgore and his career, and it has been an honor working with him on different projects this year. It’s abundantly clear that he has had a great impact on our school community and is leaving behind a legacy that will not be soon forgotten. Please enjoy retirement, Mr. Kilgore!