RHS Staff Report
On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, a reception will be held from 3:45 p.m. – 5 p.m. on stage at the Ruston High School auditorium to give people an opportunity to thank 5 long-term staff members who were retiring after many years at RHS. The reception was open to the public, faculty, and staff. These included Mr. Lloyd R. Bruner, Mrs. Charlene Flucas, Mr. Kevin Herren, Mrs. Janet Martin, and Mrs. Kay White.
Mr. Lloyd R. Bruner retires after having worked at RHS for the past 18 years, coming to us from the U.S. Army. During his tenor, he taught business and was critical in establishing certification programs for Microsoft and FEMA. Mr. Bruner was the primary adviser for the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), leading them to become the top FBLA chapter in Louisiana as RHS FBLA led the state in state officers, state championships, and national finishes. Mr. Bruner also ran the RHS newspaper, Chatterbox, for many years. Principal Dan Gressett says, “We are so appreciative of everything Mr. Bruner has done for RHS the last 18 years. From leading our FBLA team to countless awards, to running a top notch school newspaper, to being a great business teacher, Mr. Bruner has been a Bearcat through and through for his entire career here. He will be tough to replace.”
Mrs. Charlene Flucas retires after having worked for over 34 years at RHS. Mrs. Flucas began working with Lincoln Parish Schools as a custodian and took on the role of RHS school secretary in 1993. Always maintaining a sense of calm and order, she was a vital part of the school and assisted many students, parents, teachers, and staff with her critical day-to-day actions in the office. Principal Gressett adds, “Mrs. Flucas is quite possibly the most important person at Ruston High School. She is the first person people see when they enter our school and the first voice they here when they call. She has been an amazing secretary for 30 years! When you talk about true Bearcats, Mrs. Flucas is near the top of that list in my opinion. While I’m happy for her retirement, we are going to miss her tremendously.”
Mr. Kevin Herren retires after having worked at RHS for over 9 years. Mr. Herren has worked tirelessly in the special education department, ensuring every student was known, respected, and given an opportunity to succeed at RHS. Mr. Herren had 2 children graduate with honors while at RHS and leaves RHS having done his job well, supporting not only his students but being involved in many other organizations and aspects of at RHS. Principal Gressett states, “If there is a tougher job at RHS than what Mr. Herren has, then I’m not aware of it. He has been great for our Special Education Department and for Ruston High School. He is great with kids and works tirelessly to make sure all of his students are cared for. I appreciate everything he’s done and I hope to still see him up here tending to his plants in the greenhouse.”
Mrs. Janet Martin retires after having worked at RHS for over 28 years. Working as the secretary for the guidance department, she has handled many responsibilities over the years. Her daily hectic schedule included not just assisting guidance staff, but working every day with schedules, IDs, transcripts, certification, standards, and so much more. Her lists of responsibilities go on forever and she ensured that each was always handled with professionalism and a smile. Principal Gressett says, “Mrs. Martin has been a valuable piece to Ruston High School for a long time. The amount of jobs and responsibilities that fall on that position would have been too much for many people to handle. But Jan just kept on working and would always get it done. I’m so happy for her to be able to spend more time with her grandbabies now, but we will sure miss her.”
Mrs. Kay White retires after working in education for over 32 years. She began her teaching career at RHS before becoming a counselor at Louisiana Technical College. She came back to RHS in 2001. Starting as a business teacher and for years running the COE program, Mrs. White played a vital role in that department, serving as the department head and FBLA sponsor. In 2007, Mrs. White changed over to guidance and took on the role of 12th grade guidance counselor and registrar. From ensuring that every senior received the detailed attention required to graduate to learning to pronounce every name to call at graduation, Mrs. White was instrumental in ensuring that graduation ran smoothly every year as registrar. Principal Gressett adds, “Mrs. White and I started at RHS at about the same time and actually taught next door to each other for several years. We formed a close bond early on and it has carried on for over 20 years. She has been a phenomenal counselor to so many students that have come through Ruston High School. She has loved her seniors! She bleeds Bearcat red and will be greatly missed!”
With well over a 100 combined years of experience leaving, RHS will have huge shoes to fill. These faculty members have been a critical part of the success we have enjoyed at RHS and will be missed. RHS appreciates the time and service and dedication to the students that each of these have demonstrated over the years, and wishes them all well in their retirements. Once a Bearcat, Always a Bearcat!
