Image Credit: CFJC Today /Kent Simmonds

By Jill Sperling

Ready for Retirement

Kelvin Stretch reflects on 24-year career with Kamloops-Thompson School District

Feb 12, 2021 | 4:05 PM

KAMLOOPS — A long-time Kamloops-Thompson School District employee is hanging up his hat after 24 years.

Kelvin Stretch, who has been secretary-treasurer for the past 15 years, has announced his retirement with plans to leave his role at the end of July.

“I turn 66 in June,” Stretch said, “so I’ve passed my due date and so it’s time to let the younger generation to step up who have got the energy to do some of the work that has to be done.”

It was Superintendent Terry Sullivan who hired Stretch to the position of secretary-treasurer 15 years ago.

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“I said at the time, after he was the successful applicant, that I had great expectations for him,” Sullivan said. “He very quickly exceeded all of the expectations that I had. He’s a great communicator, he just brings a positive attitude to work every single day he’s here and that really has had a significant impact on the culture of this building.”

Stretch says it’s not an easy task to handle the district’s finances.

“We have 15,000 students and it’s a budget of $204 million this year,” Stretch said. “We pay just under 2,100 people every two weeks, so our payroll’s run $120 million a year and benefits are another almost $27-to-$28 million a year. Salary and benefits is the largest component, so it’s been a challenge that way.”

After his retirement and once it’s safe to do so, Stretch hopes to travel with his wife.

He says the timing is right to leave, but it’s been a rewarding position.

“I often say that there’s nothing more important than educating our children and I’m sure that the parents that we support would say something similar. You have a lot of people that are interested in what we do and how we do it. The better we are at what we do, the better everybody else is.”