On Tuesday evening, Nov. 17, Kuemper High School Principal Penny Miller informed the Kuemper Board of Education that she would be retiring at the end of this school year. Miller said there were a number of reasons making the timing of this move the right choice for her and her family. She jokes that married a much older man; but her husband Ed has been retired for several years now and has had some health issues. Miller is also solely responsible for the business affairs of her 93-year-old mother. She added there are some exciting things coming up for her children living in Des Moines and Indianapolis.
Miller came to Carroll and to the principal position at Kuemper 14 years ago, and said one of her dreams was to win a state championship. She is thrilled that she was able to see the football team do that several years ago, and she is proud of the staff and students for having won the Bank Iowa Challenge Cup as the highest scoring school in 2A four different years. There are many other things she will always remember, including a $100,000 contest win from US Cellular.
Having been involved in education her entire life, Miller knows that what she will miss the most is the day-to-day interactions with the kids and seeing their excitement for new adventures. She is confident that the leadership at Kuemper will be bringing a lot of new ideas and enthusiasm and that the staff will make it an easy transition for her replacement. She adds, she can’t thank them, or the people of Carroll, enough for the way they have supported her during her years here; through both easy and difficult times.
The Kuemper administration has reported they will begin the search for a new high school principal in December.
