Rockwood School District Superintendent Curtis Cain reflected on his first year leading the district and discussed the future during a recent interview with the Eureka Leader. In the first part of a two-part series, he shares his thoughts on the 2022-2023 school year, and in the second part, he addresses the future of Rockwood.
Curtis Cain said the excitement at the start of the school year and the emotions during graduation ceremonies are two standout moments of his first year as Rockwood School District’s superintendent.
Cain was hired in January 2022 after serving as the superintendent of the Wentzville School District for the previous nine years. He started working at Rockwood on July 1, 2022.
Cain said when the 2022-2023 school year began on Aug. 22, 2022, there was a unique energy throughout Rockwood.
“I couldn’t delineate who was more excited – students or staff,” he said. “There were definitely multiple moments that stuck in my head about how thrilled people were to be back and get the school year up and going. I always look forward to the start of the school year.”
The graduation ceremonies held between May 30 and June 3 for the district’s four high schools and the Pathways Wellness Center alternative learning school were five occasions that Cain said remind educators why they entered the profession.
“One of my favorite experiences is always graduation,” he said. “It is the culmination of so much work, dedication and support for our students. It is always unique to be on stage and see a variety of responses. Some are almost in shock and awe that they are crossing the stage. It is a true myriad of emotions. You can feel the pride from those seated in the audience. It is family, friends and staff as well. It is hard to put into words what that feels like, but when you wonder, ‘Is this worth it?’ Go to a graduation.”
Board of Education President Jaime Bayes said she believes the board believes Cain did a fantastic job in his first year.
The board showed its support for Cain in March when they extended his initial three-year contract another year through the 2025-2026 school year. The board also voted June 8 to increase his salary to $264,582.50 for the 2023-2024 school year after he was paid $255,000 this school year.
“He came in with an open mind and a plan to go on his listen, lead and learn tour,” Bayes said. “He did a fantastic job of doing that. He has taken a lot of care of learning about each community, whether it is parents and students, teachers and staff, and the different police, fire and municipal officials in each of the quadrants.
“I think he has done a fantastic job and led with a lot of humility and grace. That has been a really nice way to go about leading in this district and continuing the good work that is happening.”
Settling in
Bayes said Cain showed his commitment to Rockwood by moving into the district.
Cain, 49, had lived in Lake St. Louis with his wife, Tori, an assistant superintendent in the Pattonville School District. They have two children, Kailey, who attends the University of Kentucky; and Kaden, who recently completed fifth grade.
“I say this line all of the time – I am not contractually obligated to live in the district or to be a parent in this school district, but I had zero hesitation in making that decision,” Cain said. “It is a very special place. I know that sounds trite, but it is a very special place. I am overjoyed in being in this district and being part of the team helping Rockwood to move forward.”
Cain said one thing he learned very early about the state’s third-largest school district with nearly 20,000 students, is how each section has a unique personality.
Rockwood refers to its different areas as quadrants, which are identified by high schools – Eureka High in Eureka, Lafayette in the Wildwood area, Marquette in the Chesterfield and Ballwin areas and Rockwood Summit in the Fenton area.
“There is variance across our four quadrants, and I don’t take that as a strategic weakness,” Cain said. “I think it is of real value for our district. Because the four quadrants don’t outweigh the Rockwood School District. We are a school district. I think people universally understand and respect that, not only internally but I know they do externally.
“I have found, regardless of corner or quadrant, an amazing sense of pride, not only in the tradition of what has happened in this district but also optimism for the future in terms of where we are going to go and how we are going to get there to meet the needs of all of the kids in the Rockwood School District.”
Bayes said she believes Cain’s time at Wentzville helped his transition to Rockwood. The Missouri Department of Education reported Wentzville had 17,359 students last school year. The St. Charles County school district has four high schools, four middle schools, 13 elementary schools and an early childhood center.
“He came from a large school district, and he had similar experiences,” Bayes said. “I don’t know much about the Wentzville community, but I would assume it is similar in that each one has its own style and qualities about it. That is how Rockwood is.”
Cain, who was named the Missouri Association of School Administrators’ 2022 Superintendent of the Year and the 2022 National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators, said despite his experience in education, he still felt like he was drinking water from a fire hydrant at times during the 2022-2023 school year.
“You do have that feel,” he said. “It is both humbling and refreshing to go through that again, where you have to learn. It reminds you of what our students do on a daily basis. We have students transition from one building to the next, from one grade span to the next. They can be new to the district or new to a different part of the district. The same can be true for the staff, who have moved from one building to the next as well. It is a nice reminder that you have to process and work your way through that. If we can ask our 5-year-olds to do that, as a professional, I have to be able to figure that out.”
Bayes said Cain embedded himself in the district and its various municipalities.
“I have been part of the crisis planning workshops, religious leaders breakfast, legislative lunches and the variety of things that we host and participate in at Rockwood that brings different communities together to have conversations, and he has done a fantastic job at those,” she said. “He has brought in municipalities to talk through things like the different fire codes in each quadrant of this district, and how do we have some consistency. Even though they are different, we are still one district, and we want some things to look and feel the same when you walk into one building to the next. I think he has done a great job. It is a balance.”
Bayes also praised Cain’s focus on listening to students. She said he visits classrooms, and he meets with student advisory groups in middle and high schools.
“It is so recharging and refreshing to be able to interact with the future,” Cain said. “Whatever they are going to do, they will do it with gusto and drive. It is part of what keeps the smile on my face, just being able to interact and shape (the future), even with the teeny, tiny bit of impact as superintendent when it comes to (shaping students’ futures), it is a special thing we do in this district. It is an honor to be part of it.”
Impressed by staff
Cain said he has been impressed by how administrators, teachers and support staff members navigated the school year.
He said the district, like many employers, struggled to fill some positions. He said the areas most affected by staffing issues included custodial, transportation and nutrition.
“What I have never seen is an example of is we are not going to do this because we don’t have the staff,” Cain said. “People have found ways to figure it out. Whether that has meant administrators cleaning off tables, putting things up or doing whatever is necessary, that is what has happened. That hasn’t been from an edict or mandate. That is from people doing what they think is the right thing, so we can keep moving forward as a district.
“When I talk about how special the staff is in this district, that is the epitome and true living example of what people do every day to keep Rockwood moving forward.”