Who is Thomas Turck? What is it like to be the superintendent of Homer? How does he feel in the final year of his career as superintendent?

 Mr. Turck has been the superintendent of Homer Central School District for eight years. He describes being superintendent as “a lot of jobs.” Over the years, he has met with many important people, made arrangements, talked with board members, and made sure the district ran as smoothly as possible. 

He says his role is “to make sure the district is in a position to do its best work, help kids fundamentally, make it a positive place, have the greatest expectations possible, and just to be resolvable when it comes to helping the community and supporting what they are paying for.” 

The job, however, is full of expectations and challenges. 

“It’s easy to say it's fun, but it's a lot of responsibility,” Turck said. “It's a 24 hour a day job which is a huge responsibility.”

Mr. Turck has not always been in his current position, he was previously the principal at Homer Junior High School. 

“I just loved the age group and how the kids were, and to see them mature through their years and make relationships with that age group,” Turck said.

He described himself as collaborative, humble, and hardworking. Mr. Turck said he is “a firm believer in hiring good people and checking in how you can help them. I can never claim to be the smartest guy in the room. I look for help from others and lead by showing others skills.” 

He also discussed the sense of tradition that exists at Homer. 

“I've worked other places in my time,” Turck said. “The one thing I notice is that as a community organization everyone included in the school can take a lot of pride. There is a sense of ownership or ‘tradition’ that takes a big part in Homer and I think we take that for granted. These things are built over time.” 

After all this time being such an integral part of the Homer community, he continues to push forward and provide assistance. He works diligently to make everything run smoothly and does not do it alone - he is surrounded by a caring and kind staff everyday. 

“I'm devoted to this community - everyone in the community deserves a leader that could be at their best and not struggle with motivation in anything I have done,” Turck said. “Why waste time not doing things I'm expected to do?”

Mr. Turck’s favorite aspect that comes with being a superintendent is helping make decisions that benefit the students at Homer. 

“Most people would say being able to call a snow day, but being able to be a critical part to help the district and get involved with the conversations and getting more kids involved in making more decisions,” Turck said. “Adults still take on too much responsibility with help. I can do what’s in the best interest of kids.”  

Turck also talked about the support network at Homer, as well as what it means to be a leader. 

“We have a great support network of superintendents who can talk about things that are going well in their district and things they lack. They show a big deal in growth with that. I’m a firm believer that you can never know too much, that gaining knowledge is the best thing you can do as a superintendent,” Turck said. “Showing up everyday giving 90 percent is being a leader. Showing up also with kindness and restraint, not saying things that come to mind, think before you act. Patient, kind, including others, also hire good people who do their job. Trust goes a long way.” 

Even though Mr. Turck has seen the impact of his role; it comes with a fair amount of setbacks that can take over if left unchecked. During the COVID pandemic it was challenging, but Mr. Turck is proud of the job the district did planning and communicating with the community. He missed the time when the buildings were full of students and staff. 

“Coming out of COVID there was a lot of positivity and the public realized how much responsibility the school takes on…I believe people go into situations with positivity,” Turck said. 

The reason he wanted to be the superintendent of the district was mostly because of the students he watched grow up and turn down the wrong path due to schools failing to help guide and inspire them. He looks to continue to build a “tradition” that Homer can be recognized for.

Coming up on retirement at the end of this year, Mr. Turck plans to finish strong. 

“I have seen a lot of people in my time that have left and have kept a great attitude and positivity,” Turck said. “We plan to hire good staff that will help the building succeed and make sure the next person that takes over my role does a good job.”

After his retirement on June 30th, he plans to maintain his connection to the community and the Homer tradition of Blue Pride, while also spending more time with family and pursuing his hobbies outside of school.   

“I'm retiring June 30th, after that July, August, and September I'm going to be a dad my son needs while he is getting married,” Turck said. “I will also do voice overs that I want to get back to doing. I want to get the flexibility to work on myself and be there for my family and support them while they are growing up.