I was in grade school, and I remember lying there in that natural environment, looking up at the canopy of stars, watching it move. That was the moment that sparked my interest in science and in the world around me.

I like the small-school environment. When I've talked with Coach Turk and Coach (Steven) Hicks, both reflect what the program is about. I think the program is just going to continue to get better and it's something I look forward to being a part of.

When I went to school there was no doubt that there are nine planets. Now, maybe there are eight or 10 and we've found a whole bunch around other stars.

They are probably as good as I've ever seen in terms of the environment.

There were some concerns out there and I didn't want to put him in that environment just before a school bond vote. There were also scheduling conflicts.

Why build a mega-high school when smaller configurations seem to foster a better academic environment?