The timing was right for Drew Bunkers. He wanted to find a smaller town that he could work in and call home while his kids begin school. Solon was the perfect match. Bunkers said, “When the Solon job came up, I didn’t know much about it, but my wife knew of the town from her time at the University of Iowa. We did some research on Solon and found they’ve got a lot of things going for them. A lot of support in the town.”
Bunkers will be the new principal at Solon High School. He will make the move from Harrisburg, South Dakota, where he was the principal at Dell Rapids High School and was the District Career and Technical Education (CTE) director. Bunkers started his professional career in the sales and marketing industry but needed a change. Bunkers said, “At the end of the day, I’m not taking away from anyone who does that, but I thought is that the impact that I want to have? Or is there more that I could be doing to have a more positive impact.”
Bunkers went back to school after his epiphany and got his Masters of Science in health, physical education and recreation in 2010 from South Dakota State University. A year later, he completed his Masters of Education in business and marketing from the University of Minnesota. Bunkers got his third masters degree in educational administration from South Dakota State University in 2014.
His background lends him good experience with tech programs through his time as the CTE director, something that Solon Superintendent, Davis Eidahl, said that he wanted Solon to focus on. Eidahl said, “We’re excited about those characteristics, that knowledge, that experience that he will bring to the Solon High School.”
The school district brought four people in to interview. There were four sections of interviews: an interview with an administrative team, a group of staff and parents, Davis Eidahl, and a group of students. Eidahl said, “It was a process where a lot of stakeholders got to provide feedback on those candidates, and we really had a unanimous decision.”
The Bunkers family have already begun the process of joining the community of Solon. They will be moved into their new home in Solon in the first week of August and experienced their first Beef Days a couple of weeks ago. Bunkers said, “That’s what I’m most excited about, I think. Joining the community, joining that group of supporters coming together for all the kids.”
During the first week of school, it will be busy for Bunkers, but he wants to take the time to meet as many people as possible and help wherever he can. Bunkers said, “It’s really important to me to make sure that I am understanding some of the things that students need assistance with right away. It’s just being available. One of the things that I am a big proponent of is pitching in wherever I can.”
It is a big move for the Bunkers family. Drew and Melissa have three kids together and plan on having them grow up in Solon and learn in the Solon School District. Bunkers said, “I think what I look forward to the most is just being a part of the school district and a community that has that pride. There’s nothing better than wanting to say, I am proud to be a Spartan.”