June 30, 2021 - Fifty-four employees including teachers, administrators and support staff are retiring from the Comal Independent School District this year. Three were recognized during the Board of Trustees meeting June 24, for their 30-plus years of service to the district.
Combined, the three have 114 years of experience in education with 101 at Comal ISD. This trio includes Cynthia Rum with 40 years of teaching experience, Sheryl Kuentz with 44 years of bus driving experience and Rebecca Stich with 30 years as a special education teacher.
Rum is retiring as the gifted and talented teacher at Clear Spring Elementary, Kuentz as a bus driver in the Canyon Lake feeder pattern and Stich as a special education teacher at Garden Ridge Elementary.
In addition, the district has five campus administrators among the list of retirees. They include Principal Kristy Castilleja from Canyon Lake High School, Assistant Principal Dean Hofer from Smithson Valley High School, Principal Michael Keranen from Smithson Valley Middle, Principal Melinda Shinn from Startzville Elementary and Principal Jacqueline Sundt from Specht Elementary.
Here is a list of this year’s Comal ISD retirees along with their years of service both to education and to the district.
30-Plus Years with Comal ISD
- Cynthia Rum, CSES, GT Teacher, Total Years 40, Comal 40
- Sheryl Kuentz, Transportation, Bus Driver, Total Years 44, Comal 31
- Rebecca Stich, GRES, Special Ed Teacher, Total Years 30, Comal 30
20-Plus Years with Comal ISD
- Allan Miller, CDC, HS Social Studies, Total Years 34, Comal 27
- Leanne Taylor, Special Programs, Admin Associate, Total Years 37, Comal 27
- Maria Heard, ISES, SP/TH, Total Years 26, Comal 26
- Lana Marlowe, School Improvement, Attendance Officer, Total Years 30, Comal 26
- Ruth Traxler, SVMS, Acct Asst, Total Years 35, Comal 25
- Kathryn Buckley, FES, EL 5th, Total Years 32, Comal 24
- Kathleen Oreilly, MVES, Counselor, Total Years 29, Comal 24
- Charlotte Crouse, JRES, Ed Assoc, Total Years 23, Comal 23
- Zonia Garza, JRES, Ed Assoc, Total Years 26, Comal 23
- Cheryl Martin, GRES, 1st Grade, Total Years 33, Comal 23
- Kimberly Stanzione, KRES, 4th Grade, Total Years 29, Comal 23
- Walter Hutchison, Student Support Services, Student Support Counselor, Total Years 23, Comal 22
- Karan Kraft, MES, Child Nutrition Specialist, Total Years 22, Comal 22
- Kathy Wilson, SVHS, HS Science, Total Years 22, Comal 22
- Jose Gonzalez, TPES, Head Custodian, Total Years 21, Comal 21
- Joann Hernandez, MVES, Ed Assoc, Total Years 21, Comal 21
- Micaela Rivera, BBES, Custodian, Total Years 21, Comal 21
- Nannette Meyers, SVMS, MS Science, Total Years 20, Comal 20
- Patricia Sanguinetti, KRES, Special Ed Teacher, Total Years 20, Comal 20
- Shalyn Schroeder, BBES, 1st Grade, Total Years 30, Comal 20
- Melinda Shinn, STZES, Principal, Total Years 20, Comal 20
15-Plus Years with Comal ISD
- Connie Chick, SBMS, ELA Teacher, Total Years 19, Comal 19
- Elgin Schmidt, Maintenance & Operations, Electrician, Total Years 19, Comal 19
- Jacqueline Sundt, SES, Principal, Total Years 34, Comal 19
- Dean Hofer, SVHS, Assistant Principal, Total Years 27, Comal 17
- Scott Bartos, CHS, HS CTE, Total Years 25, Comal 16
- Adolfo Lopez, HLES, Custodian, Total Years 15, Comal 15
- Pauline Mobley, TPES, 4th Grade, Total Years 29, Comal 15
- Diane Wiser, CHS, Math Teacher, Total Years 29, Comal 15
14 Years or less with Comal ISD
- William Albert, CLHS, HS Ag, Total Years 31, Comal 14
- Julie Clary, Transportation, Bus Driver, Total Years 14, Comal 14
- Travis McCown, ISES, EL 5th, Total Years 27, Comal 14
- Linda Parsons, MES, 2nd Grade, Total Years 24, Comal 14
- Tracy Preiss, CLHS, Science Teacher, Total Years 30, Comal 14
- Robert Tysarczyk, SVHS, Ed Asst, Total Years 20, Comal 14
- Kyle Henderson, CHS, Itinerant Teacher, Total Years 29, Comal 13
- Nancy Reed, SBMS, Asst Band Director, Total Years 27, Comal 13
- Bobbielee Strader, SBMS, MS Special Ed, Total Years 34, Comal 13
- Patricia Hilt, TPES, Special Ed Teacher, Total Years 30, Comal 12
- Michael Keranen, SVMS, Principal, Total Years 33, Comal 12
- Kristy Castilleja, CLHS, Principal, Total Years 29, Comal 12
- Cindy Marroquin, JRES, Nurse, Total Years 19, Comal 12
- Mary Thompson, Transportation, Bus Driver, Total Years 12, Comal 12
- Dawn Adams, CHS, HS CTE, Total Years 30, Comal 10
- Sari Luhrman, STZES, Special Ed Teacher, Total Years 23, Comal 10
- Larry Shumway, Transportation, Bus Driver, Total Years 10, Comal 10
- Norma Machen, ISES, 2nd Grade, Total Years 20, Comal 8
- Hugh Woodchick, SVHS, HS Math, Total Years 11, Comal 8
- Lana Riley, JRES, Dys Support, Total Years 32, Comal 6
- John Tucker, Maintenance, Facility Analyst, Total Years 26, Comal 6
- Karen Brumley, MECHS, HS Science, Total Years 33, Comal 3
Congratulations and thank you!
-Pictured from left are Rebecca Stich, Cynthia Rum and Sheryl Kuentz. This trio is retiring from the Comal Independent School District after each serving 30-plus years.
-Three employees of the Comal Independent School District were recognized for their 30-plus years of service with the district during the Comal ISD Board of Trustees meeting June 24. Pictured from left are Trustee Tim Hennessee, Trustee Courtney Biasatti, Trustee Michelle Ross, Retiree Rebecca Stich, Retiree Sheryl Kuentz, Trustee Jason York, Retiree Cynthia Rum, Trustee Marty Bartlett and Superintendent Andrew Kim.
-Three of the five Comal ISD campus administrators who are retiring this year were honored during a meeting at Support Services in June. Pictured from left are Jackie Sundt, Specht Elementary principal; Kristy Castilleja, Canyon Lake High principal; and Michael Keranen, Smithson Valley Middle principal.