Kingfisher Board of Education President Mike Copeland said the school district is in better shape now than a decade ago when Jason Sternberger took over as superintendent.

“In my opinion, yes we are,” he said. “We’ve made a lot of strides at KPS to advance the overall student experience.”

Future strides will have to be made with a new superintendent.

Sternberger’s departure was cemented Wednesday when Hennessey’s board voted to hire him as that district’s new head man.

That puts the task of hiring Sternberger’s successor on the shoulders of the board.

But before looking ahead, Copeland reflected on the past decade with Sternberger at the helm.

The district has produced national championships in FFA, state championships in multiple sports and high-profile scholars who have brought accolades to the halls of KPS schools.

The district also has faced a statewide teacher walkout (limited at KPS), adjusting to new testing methods and a global pandemic.

Along the way, some tough decisions have fallen on Sternberger’s shoulders.

“When you are the superintendent, you have to make a lot of choices and decisions that, from the outside looking in, make you wonder,” Copeland said. “But we (Sternberger and the board) have to look at the best overall decision that affects the 1,500 students at KPS and not what is best for only one student or even a small group.

“These decisions are difficult, but Jason always had the best interest of the school in mind when he made these decisions.”

Increased oil and natural gas activity in the area during a bulk of Sternberger’s tenure has been beneficial to the district’s bank accounts and its campuses both inside and out of the classrooms.

Copeland noted the increased technology at each building, including considerable gains in the number of laptops and tablets for students, new band instruments and band uniforms as some examples.

There’s also the two softball fields on the high school campus, a new softball and cheer facility and the ongoing construction of the new school for seventh and eighth graders.

“Jason made it a priority to make sure all groups have what they need in order to succeed,” Copeland said.

The board president also noted Sternberger made it a priority not to take on many recurring expenses despite plush coffers.

Despite making improvements throughout the district, KPS had a record carryover of $8.6 million from last fiscal year into this one.

When the next superintendent steps in, that number will look similar.

Copeland said the board posted the job opening on the Oklahoma State School Boards Association’s website.

He said the board will hold special meetings over the next few weeks to parcel through resumes and begin the interview processes.

Copeland said the board’s plan is to hire Sternberger’s replacement around the middle of April.