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Tomball Superintendent John Neubauer will soon be turning off the lights in his office for the final time, as he will retire following a career spanning more than 45 years.
Neubauer submitted a letter of resignation to the Tomball school board Jan. 14. His retirement will be effective when his contract ends June 30, after 16 years as the administrative head of the district.
"After much thought, prayer and evaluation, I decided that the time has come for me to retire," Neubauer said. "Retirement comes with mixed feelings. It's been an honor to serve the students of this district and a pleasure to work with so many wonderful and dedicated people district wide."
Board president John McStravick said that Neubauer's shoes will be difficult to fill.
"I think John has done an excellent job during his tenure," McStravick said. "He has been an asset to our entire school community. He is a dedicated educator who is loyal, practical and caring. The district is in great shape thanks to his leadership. As he plans his retirement, he'll have more time for his family and his hobbies."
Neubauer, who has held positions as a teacher, coach and principal, as well as superintendent, began his career in 1967, when the old 1936 Cherry Street building was an intermediate school.
"When I came to Tomball the principal handed me a textbook and a box of chalk and said, 'Good luck,'" he recalled.
Now, on that same site sits the new John P. Neubauer Administration Building, where his current office is located.
"My first teaching job was in the 1936 Cherry Street school where our administration building is now located," he said. "I feel I've been blessed to end my career in the same location where I began my career over four decades ago."
Neubauer, who also will step down as president of the Tomball Scholarship Foundation and chair of the UIL Region 9 Music Executive Committee, said his tenure was defined by one word --- teamwork.
"As superintendent I have set goals for myself and our entire staff has helped me achieve those goals," he said. "It's been a team effort."
He said he is proud of the financial shape the district is in, especially considering the tough times faced by other districts in Texas.
"I am proud that we offer the highest starting teacher pay in our area," he said. "We have weathered the school finance crisis without laying off employees or cutting any programs. We have maintained the same tax rate for five consecutive years. I am proud of those accomplishments, but I could not have accomplished any of those goals without the help of wonderful employees and wonderful students."
Neubauer said he plans to spend a lot more time with his family members and pursuing his hobbies.
"I plan to spend time with my family and with my grandson at our farm in east Texas," he said. "I also enjoy gardening, cooking, wood working and raising cattle and honey bees. I also plan to travel and see my relatives and I'm looking forward to that."
Tomball Communications Director Staci Stanfeld has gone from being a student of Neubauer's to a colleague and co-worker. She says he has been a huge influence in her life.
"We are going to miss him," she said. "He is a wonderful superintendent, a strong leader and a friend to so many people. He was my principal when I attended Tomball High School. Several of our employees are Tomball High School graduates and many of them had the opportunity to know him as a principal, teacher and coach."
While Neubauer jokes about his legacy – "They'll say I told a lot of stories and that I grow the best tomatoes they ever tasted!" – others say his footprint will last for a long time within the district.
"He has modeled the importance of being proactive and thoughtful when making decisions in the best interest of our students," McStravick said.
"He is a pillar in our community," Stanfeld added. "He's one of a kind and he's going to be missed."
Neubauer said he will miss the students and people of the community the most.
"I will miss seeing the accomplishments of our students and I will miss the people," he said. "The people of this great community have allowed me to serve all of these years. I'm a lucky man."

The sounds and smells of goats, pigs, turkeys, cows and other farm animals will fill the air this weekend, as students from both Tomball high schools diligently prepare for the annual Tomball Future Farmers of America (FFA) project sale and show.
This year brings the 37th incarnation of the event, which allows FFA members to show and hopefully sell the animals they spent all year raising, feeding and caring for. The event will be held Jan. 25 and 26 at the Tomball ISD Project Center, at 30330 Quinn Rd.
"It gives kids the opportunity to become involved in FFA and teaches them a lot about responsibility and handling money," said Jimmy Vaculin, former Tomball FFA teacher and president of the Tomball High School FFA Booster Club.
Vaculin said the program also helps students build friendships and teaches them how to be a part of an organization.
'They develop camaraderie with one another," he said.
Tomball Memorial FFA Booster Club President Lesley Chronister agreed and said the students look forward all year to the show.
"It's a huge deal," she said. "The kids raise their animals all throughout the year with this show as the goal."
The show and its live auction provide funds for both schools FFA programs, as well as a majority of the funds for the Tomball FFA college scholarship program.
"The kids are able to get a lot of the money back they spent raising the animals and a lot of the funds go directly towards the scholarship fund for seniors," Chronister said.
Last year the show brought in more than $500,000 for the program and scholarship fund and the group hopes to do at least that this year.
Chronister's son Colby said that FFA has taught him lessons he will be able to carry throughout his life.
"I wanted to raise animals because I thought it would be fun, but doing this has taught me responsibility, how to care for an animal and motivated me to keep my grades up so I can show my animals," he said.
Colby Chronister said the show is not only hard work, but fun as well.
"It's fun meeting all the new people and the competition it brings, as well as seeing everyone else's projects." he said.
The show's schedule for Jan. 25 includes rabbits being shown at 11 a.m., followed by broilers at 1 p.m., with turkeys to follow, then market swine at 4 p.m. On Jan. 26 market lambs will be shown at 8 a.m. and market steers at 10:30 a.m. The Buyer's Barbecue will be open from 3:30-5 p.m., with the live auction to immediately follow.
For more information visit www.tomballffa.net.

A Tomball man was recently sentenced to three years of probation, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting device fraud in federal court.
Troy Alexander Tipton, 21, was charged, after federal prosecutors said he sold Spring cellular phone customer data and access information to another man. Tipton was an employee of Modern Wireless at the time. Tipton pleaded guilty to the charges last August.
Prosecutors said that Tipton sold data from at least 400 customer accounts to Vernon R. Parker of Houston, from April through October of 2011. Parker then directed Lakreshia Shana Smith, 28 and Frederick Sears, 38, both of Houston, to make claims for replacement or additional cell phones using the stolen accounts.
Sears and Smith were arrested after U.S. Secret Service agents followed them around the Houston area and observed them picking up packages containing the cell phones.
"The conspirators had placed phone and internet orders for either replacement phones, or additional phones to be charged to unknowing customers of Sprint," U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson's office said in a statement. "The packages were mailed from Sprint locations outside of Texas to various hotels and apartments as directed by the conspirators. The total loss to Sprint is estimated at more than $136,000 attributable to the Parker organization."
Smith was given probation by Judge Lee Rosenthal, while Sears was ordered to serve 18 months in federal prison. Parker, the ring leader of the group, was sentenced to 51 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised parole.
Parker will remain in local custody until he is transferred to a federal prison in the near future.

Dear Editor,

It is with great sadness that I write this tribute to one of Tomball's sons, William Thomas (Bill) Webb. 

I first met Councilman Bill Webb in 2009, at a city council meeting. Without knowing the political climate in Tomball, I quickly understood that Bill was a no-nonsense conservative with a quick mind, a dry wit and a deep love for his birthplace, Tomball. It was  obvious that this deep love had transformed into a strong devotion to the many people who supported him in his quest to serve the citizens of his beloved Tomball as Mayor, Mayor Pro-tem and City Councilman. 

Over the next three years, I saw Bill work incessantly during two elections in the face of opposition and he never wavered in his goal to serve and he never accepted the inevitable political changes that Tomball was destined to make.

Bill Webb was one of a kind. May his conservative spirit live on.

Judith Wilson
Frisco

Tomball High School student, Joseph Coumos, recently signed a scholarship to dive for the University of Notre Dame. Coumos was a gymnast, but started diving two years ago. His specialties are the one meter and the three meter spring board.  He plans to study mechanical or aerospace engineering in college.