Tim Shepler is retiring from Homewood High School's basketball program after three decades of coaching! "It was just time," Coach Shepler said. "But no rocking chair for me. I am unsure what is next, but I know God will show the way." Hailing from a devout Christian household, his upbringing instilled in him strong values that have shaped his character and outlook on life. His focus transcends mere victories or defeats, aiming to impart invaluable lessons that shape the character and values of the young men under his guidance. Born and raised in Indiana, the heart of basketball country, he developed a passion for the sport from a young age. His formative years coincided with the heyday of Bobby Knight's tenure at Indiana University. After graduating as a player from Oral Roberts University, Shepler took a job coaching football and basketball at a middle school in Louisiana. And then a few years into his career, on a whim, he called the legendary John Wooden, who not only answered the phone, but then invited Coach Shepler to his home to talk further! This amazing opportunity became a pivotal eight hour conversation that truly helped shape his coaching career. "He never talked about winning," Coach Shep said. "He only talked about your best effort, doing your best. And if you do that, you can be satisfied. His old, famous definition of success was basically doing the best with what you have, all the time." Wooden said that when he got to UCLA in 1948, nobody cared about basketball. It was all about surfing and other things. So it took time to grow that program. Wooden didn't win a championship until 1964, his first of ten. Inspired by Wooden's longevity and emphasis on character, integrity, and teamwork, Shepler adopted these principles as the cornerstone of his coaching style, eventually building up to a Class 6A state title in 2016. "John's was a 16 year plan, mine was a 20 year plan to build a championship team," Coach Shep jokes.

Finance Highlights 05/13/24 1. Committee approved a motion for a request for consideration of hiring four new police officers as SRO's. Right now the city is working with contracted officers/security for some of the schools. Experienced officers are used to move into these positions, not new hires. The dilemma with the current system that exists is that the chief of police has to have enough patrol officers before reassigning as SRO's. The cost to hire these officers would be around $250K, with 80% of that cost being reimbursed by the school system. This item now goes before the full council next Monday, May 20 for a full vote. 2. Committee approved a motion for a request by Police Chief Tim Ross for consideration of budget Amendment to manage overtime costs. There are 83 sworn officer positions, but many support personal positions are short-handed, especially dispatchers and corrections officers. This means moving personal around to help, plus sicknesses, injuries and military leave, often means going over the annual overtime budget. Agenda: https://bit.ly/4bbTkXY Upcoming meeting schedules: https://bit.ly/3bvufcT Archived meetings: http://bit.ly/2UiSIaA Watch the full video above to learn more about all the items presented.