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Updated: December 31, 2024 @ 1:01 am
Coach Bowser and his players.
Bowser reads to students.
Bowser hugs the Allendale school mascot.
Bowser is pictured with a student holding an Allendale Yellow Jackets sign.
Robert Bowser
Robert Bowser
Coach Bowser and his players.
Bowser reads to students.
Bowser hugs the Allendale school mascot.
Bowser is pictured with a student holding an Allendale Yellow Jackets sign.
ALLENDALE — Allendale Superintendent Robert Bowser’s November notice of his retirement takes effect June 30.
Bowser, originally from Sumner, grew up and graduated from Red Hill School District, son of two teachers. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1991 and got his first coaching and teaching job in Tuscola, from 1991 until 1993.
He worked as a grad assistant in the education department, working on a elementary education master’s degree while also serving as an assistant baseball coach.
Bowser said he really wanted to get into coaching college baseball, and from his first job he was able to get another coaching and teaching position in Milford, where he worked eight years.
In 2009 he was hired at Mount Carmel as the middle school’s dean of students for the 2009-2010 school year. He served that position for four years, then accepted a position as principal for Allendale for the 2013-2014 school year.
From the next year and on, Bowser has served as Allendale’s superintendent. Bowser said being principal allowed him to learn the day to day operations of the building, and work with the parents and teachers.
“We have an outstanding educational process here at Allendale, what I feel to be the best in the area, and I had a great board. I had seven bosses who were fantastic to work for and every time you move, you kind of roll the dice,” Bowser said. “I saw no reason to leave. The only reason to ever leave would have been for more money or better benefits, and happiness isn’t determined by money and benefits.”
Bowser said he felt like Allendale was just the right place to finish out his career. While he did have his eye on a job that eventually came open, it wasn’t an option.
“…at that point in time, after three or four years of being here and seeing what I was able to see with the community, the school board, the employees, why would I leave?” he said.
He said that he sat down and thought long and hard about it, but that in the end, Allendale is where he belonged.
“I mean, how often can you get a superintendent to say that they’ve done literally every job in the building?” Bowser said. “I’ve literally cleaned bathrooms in a tie. I’ve driven the bus. I’ve helped serve food at one time; one time I got to cook the food with some help from Sarah. I’ve been in the classroom. I’ve taught a little bit here and there… AD (athletic director), coach — every facet of this school district I have been a part of, and you don’t get that everywhere.”
Bowser said coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, he thought the school district did the best they could in those circumstances.
“It was 24 hours, seven days a week. And that period of time, even when we came back to school, there was all the guidance and different things coming down from the state. It would come down on a Friday night, and you have to implement it by Monday morning. So there were a lot of weekends, just a lot of time put in,” Bowser said.
He said that he knew retirement was looming. “When we did my last contract, we did it for four years, because I knew that my body was just wearing down. Of course, I’ve also been chasing around two boys. They were in junior high and high school, and now they’re in high school and college, and I’m chasing around watching them play ball and so forth. I’m ready to slow down a little bit. I’ve kind of known it’s coming along, and I’ve always been one that was always ready for the next phase,” Bowser said.
Allendale has been his life for the past 12 years, with his two sons attending the school. His oldest started attending the school in third grade, and his youngest was there for his entire early educational career.
He can reflect back on improvements in the district, including a new soft surface playground and a new pickleball court with LED lighting.
Bowser said he and his colleagues have always had the same vision — to make Allendale School the best. He grew up playing Allendale in summer baseball, so he was familiar with the town; however he never dreamed he would end up there as part of his educational career.
“There’s a lot of good people in this community, a lot of people who care about their school and the way that it operates, and it’s been my life and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
He said former Wabash District 348 Superintendent Tim Buss gave him the opportunity to be an administrator. “I wouldn’t be where I’m sitting at today if Tim Buss didn’t take a chance on this young, arrogant coach,” Bowser said.
He said that no matter what someone is doing in life, there’s always going to be bumps and bruises, and that it’s not all going to be perfect.
“As Brad Seaton (former Allendale superintendent/principal) always told me — he always called it education heaven. Allendale School is education heaven, and he’s right, that would be the way I would describe Allendale schools — education heaven.”
Robert Bowser
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