SHELBY — Tim Tarvin can boil his entire career as an educator down to a single word: Relationships.
For the superintendent of Shelby City Schools, relationships are the most important and the most rewarding part of the job.
“I’ll miss the interactions with the staff and students and parents. That’s what made it all worthwhile,” he said.
Tarvin is wrapping up his final year as superintendent of Shelby City Schools. After almost 42 years in education, he’s retiring on July 31.
“It was a tough decision,” he said. “It was kind of bittersweet because I’ve been in education for over 40 years.
“I just think it’s the right time. We’re in a good spot. We finished the buildings, we’re in great shape financially, students are doing an incredible job — on to the next chapter.”
Tarvin announced in October that this would be his last school year. The board of education approved his resignation at their February meeting.
Tarvin made a point to say he’s stepping down because he’s ready to retire. It has nothing to do with recent public outcry over transgender students using the women’s restrooms at school.
“I want to make it clear that there is no correlation between my retirement and any issue going on in this district,” Tarvin said at a Feb. 21 board meeting.
Tarvin graduated from Shelby High School in 1977 and enrolled at Bowling Green State University. His father, an accountant at the steel mill in Mansfield, encouraged him to get a business degree.
“Literally the day before classes started, I went over to the registrar’s office, and I changed my major to education,” Tarvin said.
“The reason I changed my major is because of teachers I had here at the school. Phil Pearson, I had him for English and Humanities. He still lives here in town. The other guy was Mr. (Ray) Vermilya. He was our choir director.”
Terry Zuercher, a junior high school social studies teacher and track coach, was another favorite of Tarvin’s.
“Their personalities were such that you couldn’t wait to go into their classroom,” he said. “I was hoping maybe I’d have the same influence on some kids that they had on me.”
After teaching social studies and environmental science at schools in southern Michigan and Ohio, Tarvin came home to Shelby City Schools. He began as a high school social studies teacher, then served as the assistant high school principal for eight years and the middle school principal for eight more.
Over the years, he’s also coached wrestling, cross country and track.
Tarvin is finishing his 12th year as superintendent and his 31st year with the district.
“Whatever job I’ve had — whether it’s teaching, middle school, high school, superintendent — I’ve always felt at the time that that was my favorite job,” Tarvin said.
“It’s just a matter of applying yourself to whatever you’re doing, so it’s not a job, it’s just a thing you go do during the day. I’ve never considered it work. I still enjoy coming to work every day.”
Shelby High School Principal John Gies has worked in the district nearly as long as Tarvin. He said it’ll be strange not having him around.
“He’s at a lot of games, a lot of concerts, a lot of activities,” Gies said “He knows every staff member by name. He knows a lot of the kids. He’s constantly out and about.”
It’s all part of staying connected to what matters most.
“You’ve got to get out from behind your desk, out of your office and go see kids,” Tarvin said. “I can sit here all day long and get stuff done, but the real work gets done in the hallways and the classrooms.”
The district’s new campus-style layout makes that work much easier.
“When (the administrative offices) were downtown, you had to hop in your car,” Tarvin said. “Now they’re right here.”
As superintendent, Tarvin oversaw the completion of the district’s new high school in 2013 and the construction of a new PreK-8th grade building and Whippet Athletic Complex, which opened at the beginning of this school year.
The PreK-8th building constructed using the district’s revenue from the Rover Pipeline after voters rejected three bond issues.
“We got closer and closer. We didn’t miss by a whole lot the last time, but that’s when we came up with a creative way around not having to pass a bond issue,” Tarvin said.
“We knew our kids needed new buildings. The space in the old building was so cramped and limited with what you could do with kids from a technology perspective.”
While the newer facilities may be his most “visible” part of his legacy, Tarvin said the relationships he’s built are what he’ll cherish most.
“(The facilities) were a team effort. It took a lot of work to get there, so I’m very proud of it,” he said. “But 10 years from now, I’m going to think back to ‘I wonder how so-and-so’s doing.’”
Assistant Supt. Paul Walker said one of Tarvin’s greatest strengths as a leader is his willingness to collaborate.
“He’s very professional and very collaborative. He wants to create a positive culture in the district and a team effort versus just top-down,” Walker said.
“When he makes decisions, it really is about all kids.”
Gies agreed, saying Tarvin has managed to balance the real logistical needs of the district with the wellbeing of students.
“It’s a tough job,” Gies said. “The kids are always at the forefront of your mind, but when you’re also making decisions that deals with money, with staffing, you have to figure out how we can be efficient and still be able to provide a good education to our students and prepare them for the future.
“He puts a lot of thought and effort into the decisions that he makes.”
Lisa Baker, who retired in 2015 after 30 years as the high school band director, said Tarvin was a good listener and open to hearing different perspectives.
“I think that he’s one of those people that you can easily agree to disagree with,” Baker said. “It was safe to be able to have conversations and have debates and it was okay to disagree.”
Tarvin’s office is now located inside the former middle school, just down the hall from his old office. The walls are covered with art projects by former students.
“Back in the day, student council would purchase artwork from students every year and hang them in the hallway,” he said. “They’ve all got a little bit of a story.”
Tarvin can point to each one and tell you a bit about the student who drew it — this student ran track in high school, this one is a nurse in Columbus now, that one is a local business owner whose wife works in the district.
A portrait of a teen boy wearing a jersey is Tarvin’s favorite. His face has a shoeprint in it, marring the surface like wet clay. Big block letters spell out “Slades Bruiser Shoes” in the bottom left corner.
The artist is a student he got to know well.
“This kid actually died tragically of an overdose,” he said. “He was in my office a lot when I was assistant principal at the high school. He was a great kid, but he just didn’t have much of a home life.”
Walker said Tarvin has always been drawn to students who need a little extra help.
“He has always had a soft spot for the underdog kid and wanting them to overachieve,” he said.
Most of the art will stay in the superintendent’s office after Tarvin leaves, but there’s one piece he insists on taking with him.
Against the white background of a shadowbox frame, pieces of chewed up gum are glued in place to spell out “Shelby Whippets.”
“When I was middle school principal, one summer a bunch of students were working, pulling gum off the bottom of desks and one of them made that for me,” he said. “That thing is probably 15 years old.”
Tarvin said he’ll be focusing on a smaller group of kids during retirement — his grandchildren. His eighth grandchild is due in June. All of them live in Richland County.
“I’m telling people I’m starting my own company. It’s called T Squared — Tarvin’s Taxi, but it’s only for my grandchildren,” he joked. “I’m the CEO, director of transportation, head mechanic and scheduler.”
