Volume 1, Issue 49 MAY 3, 2024
Dedicated to Pirate Nation in Memory of Troy Moran
YOUR LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED NONPROFIT NEWS SOURCE
Hart Public Schools comes to grips with loss of Troy Moran By Sharon Hallack and Amanda Dodge The Oceana Echo Community Contributors
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Monday morning, a light rain greeted Hart High School students as they entered school to begin another week. Still reeling from the news of their beloved principal’s unexpected death Saturday, the halls and locker commons were reportedly quiet. Principal Troy Moran, full of life on Friday as he wished his students a good weekend, had passed away suddenly of a heart attack while on a run late Saturday afternoon. It was going to be a hard day, but the students, from the beginning, set the tone for how they would face this tragedy. What happened next could have been a scene right out of a movie, but it wasn’t a movie. This was real. Superintendent Mark Platt shared, “There was a small circle of kids, maybe about 20 in the middle of the hall, that had started to gather. This was a kid-created situation. I watched as the circle got bigger and bigger, until there were probably 350 kids in a circle, holding hands. I joined the circle; other staff did too. We all held hands. Then junior, Lexie Nienhuis, led us in prayer, followed by other students. Up to that point, I hadn’t shed a tear. In these difficult moments, they pay me to lead. I’ve got things to do. My job is to take care of others. I don’t know whose hands I was holding. I wasn’t looking around. All I know is I became a train wreck. Then I heard a voice I knew incredibly well. It was the voice of my former principal from Mona Shores, one of my long-time friends and now the superintendent of Ravenna, Greg Helmer, who my wife had called to come and support me Monday. He closed the group in prayer. You’d have thought Pastor Vander Zwaag (First Baptist Church) was praying. After the group broke up, I wanted out. I headed toward the door and ran right
into Ryan Stuckey (First Baptist Church youth pastor). He gave me a hug, and I just bawled. That’s not who I am, but I am convinced he was in the right place at the right time.” The loss is real; the loss is deep. Even those who didn’t know him personally can feel the grief of those who did. Several staff members were eager to share their thoughts and memories. Spitler Elementary Principal Brandon Bruce said, “The joy and energy he brought to his job every day, also the passion he had for working with his students. I loved his energy!” “Troy had a special gift of connecting with every student and staff member. He made you feel seen, heard and valued. Troy brought many initiatives to our district and the high school, such as PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports), Ride with Pride, Farm Week and more! He was a natural leader and was passionate about education and helping people be the better versions of themselves. I will miss his humor, infectious laugh and his friendship. I am honored that I got to learn from him over the past few years; he will truly be missed,” Diman Wolf Early Childhood Center Director Andrea Degan said. High School Athletic Director Tim Hertzler reflected, “Troy often said he needed Hart more than Hart needed him; that was not true. God brought us together to make both better. We went through some great times and tough times, and Troy always brought an infectious energy that made the good times better and the tough times bearable. He was decisive, bordering on impulsive, making you love him all the more. It is a great comfort to my soul knowing he decided to grab back on to his faith the last couple of years.” “Troy had the courage to challenge norms and embrace change. My favorite quality that Troy possessed was his willingness to support an individual’s uniqueness. He welcomed everyone from all facets of life and encouraged them to become the best versions of themselves. He laughed with his entire body. It was contagious and will certainly be missed,” Director of Special Education Coordinator and 504 Plan Coordinator Michaela Dennert said. “Troy quickly became a great friend and colleague. He understood his purpose and had a passion and love for others. Rarely did you see Troy without a smile. He will always be missed, but never forgotten,” Hart Middle School Principal Kevin Ackley said. “Troy began as my boss and quickly became a close friend. He was an honest man with unquestionable integrity and a fun sense of humor. He was a great listener and storyteller who had compassion, empathy and understanding. Troy wasn’t afraid to tell people
he loved them, to stand up for what he believed, to champion a cause or say what he thought,” Hart High School Special Education teacher Stacia Erickson shared. “He was the captain of our Hart High School Pirate Ship and was steering us in the right direction. His faith was his anchor and unwavering. God was number one, followed closely by his daughters. He was strong from life and just had a certain ‘je ne sais quoi.’ Somehow, he just made everyone’s lives better. I will miss him every day.” Technology/Auditorium Manager Phil DeBrot said, “Troy, or T-Roy, was one of those guys that the term ‘clean cut’ couldn’t do justice for. He was always dressed for success and was the only guy I knew who could pull the no-sock look off and still be taken seriously. When he was around his staff and students, he was a leader. When he was around me and a few other admins, he was a dear friend and one of the boys.” Known for his wonderful sense of humor, Karma Thomas, high school office assistant, said, “The little quote that I remember Troy always saying was ‘Welcome to pointless Tuesday!’” High School English teacher Brett Ramseyer reflected, “Troy made every person feel like they had an understanding ally no matter their background, perspective or personality. His support encouraged those around him to give a little extra, listen a little more, and share with abandon. He helped us make this a better place with him. I will be forever grateful for that.” High School Health and Physical Education teacher Jen Hlady shared, “Troy was a person that truly cared about everyone. I will miss him in the halls of Hart High School. I will miss his weekly memos and our chats about running and sharing with him how our competitive cheer and golf teams did after events. I will miss hearing his laugh and seeing his smile. With all the things I will miss, I can say that I am forever grateful to have had Troy as my principal as well as my friend. He gave such inspiration to myself and to our school.” “One thing about Troy Moran is that he was always triple-booked,” Kelli Campagna, executive assistant, said with a smile. “He often forgot he had a meeting before he scheduled another. He always made time for students and staff first and would take as much time as they needed to work out a problem, which often resulted in Troy sprinting across campus to his next meeting. Most people would be alarmed if you saw an administrator sprinting across campus; here, it just meant you saw Troy running to his next appointment. Without fail, he would arrive and announce that he thought the meeting was supposed to start in a few minutes, followed by
a smirk and that contagious laugh of his.” “The kids loved him,” Platt said. “He connected with all and was highly, highly visible every day. He would be in the locker commons first thing every morning and every hour between classes. He was always high-fiving kids and making connections. The same went for staff. I knew they ‘liked’ Troy, but I didn’t understand the magnitude and how much they ‘loved’ him. They respected him and looked forward to
him staying. He had told me he wasn’t planning to apply for my position when I retire (in another year). He made it clear: he loved high school so much and there were some things he wanted to accomplish with staff. He was the perfect fit. The light within Troy was very obvious in the way he led, the way he lived and the way he loved. He was the happiest guy in the room with his infectious smile and laugh. You knew at every meeting there was going to be a full-on body laugh from him,
especially if Phil DeBrot was in the room. He jelled with every single staff member.” In the coming days and weeks, as the high school and district close out another school year and begin preparing for the next school year, many extra decisions will need to be made. Platt said he plans to meet with not only the school board and staff but students as well. “Troy connected with kids. They will be an important part of the process.”
A tribute to Troy
By Sharon Hallack
The Oceana Echo Community Contributor The questions are being asked locally, regionally and even statewide: What? How? Why? The sudden death of 46-year-old Hart High School Principal Troy Moran late Saturday afternoon is impossible to comprehend. Understandably, the entire district and West Michigan are reeling, trying to process this heartbreaking loss. After hearing the news Saturday while on his annual fishing weekend, Superintendent Mark Platt has been burning the candle at both ends since, doing what he is known so well for: leading. He hasn’t given himself much time to grieve. Troy was more than a principal under his leadership. He was a dear friend. “Troy had a natural leadership skill set and a natural desire to learn,” Platt said. Superintendent of Ravenna School District Greg Helmer, a lifelong friend and former boss was one of the first people Platt contacted Saturday. “My wife (Vicki) then asked me if she could contact him to come in on Monday. She knew I’d be the guy who’d try to do it myself. He was my sidekick and advisor all day. He helped keep me on track.” Moran and Platt first met when they were both working at Mona Shores. “I remember the first time I met him, and I swear he looked like he’d just walked off the cover of a GQ magazine,” Platt said with a smile. They were introduced when their principal, Helmer, suggested Troy cover for Platt when he was out of the office for any extended period. “Troy asked if I like to muskie fish, and we immediately clicked. From then on, we’ve been friends.” Hart Public School Board President Chad Coker shared, “Troy was an amazing individual, extremely smart and well spoken. He and I would talk at length about girls basketball. He was a very high-energy guy, and I never saw him without a smile on his face. He started a lot of really good programs at HPS, and he is going to be extremely hard to replace. The kids loved him. My daughter graduated last year and started crying when I told her the news. I have a few other friends who said a similar thing when they told their kids. Troy worked out regularly, and we would always joke with him to stop making the rest of us look so bad. He is going to be missed for sure.” “This whole thing is a balance between being pragmatic and being emotional. I basically have had to compartmentalize, which I’m really good at doing. It doesn’t help with processing grief, but it does help get things done,” Platt explained. Platt was quick to give credit to the many people who have stepped up to help. He can’t thank his entire staff enough, and those from neighboring districts as well, saying Mona Shores High School staff sent the entire high school staff lunch from Hobo’s on Tuesday. To put into words how a community comes together in times like these is not easy. In talking with Platt, it is obvious this is a very fluid situation and there are many involved. “Our Crisis Team met on Sunday to come up with a plan for Monday. I’d already made up my mind that we were going to have school on Monday. I’d lived through the death of a kindergarten student
while I was at Mona Shores. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I knew that in a crisis, people need people. I don’t know how long those ladies worked, but by 7:45 a.m. Monday morning, every high school staff member had a folder with, (among other resources) a script for their classes and slips to fill out for students needing to talk to someone. Various counselors saw approximately 60 students on Monday.” Then on Monday, Platt and his support team met to come up with action steps for the day. “Our first priority was to craft a letter to parents. I didn’t communicate (in a timely way) with our parents and I should have. Looking back, I should have sent something out on Sunday, but I was doing things on my own and wasn’t utilizing resources. I also called Troy’s parents. It was a tough conversation and didn’t last long, but his parents are incredible. They are Hart ‘superfans.’ They didn’t miss a game,” Platt said. And while it may seem like it’s too soon, Platt shared that this small team of advisors had a necessary discussion about Troy’s replacement. “One of the first people Platt contacted Saturday night was Troy’s best friend, Ken Byard. Byard, of North Muskegon, had known Troy since high school and had worked with Moran and Platt in the same building at Mona Shores. Now retired, Byard told Platt, “Whatever you need, I will do.” “Since that conversation, it has become obvious there is great value in having a very experienced principal who could step right in. He’s from our conference, and this is a very important season of school, there’s honors, graduation and setting a master schedule for next year,” said Platt. Byard was to meet staff today (Friday) and plans to serve as the interim principal until another principal is hired. When asked about graduation, Platt seemed glad to share something more lighthearted. “We found Troy’s graduation speech on his computer. The plan is for two staff members to deliver it on graduation night. I only read the first paragraph, I wanted to wait to hear the rest at graduation. But I have a feeling it is going to be very funny. Even before I came, there was a rich tradition that graduation only lasted 59 minutes. Normally, no one really cares what the principal says, or any of the speakers, for that matter. Graduation comes down to two things, watching kids walk across the stage to receive their diplomas and tossing their hats in the air. In the past 12 years, I’ve never spoken at graduation, and I want to keep it that way. Troy always wanted to speak but knew he needed to stay under the hour time limit.” The coming days at Hart Public Schools will feel different without Moran. The loss of his leadership, friendship, positive attitude, smile and work ethic have left a void. This year’s Hart High School graduation will be emotion-filled. It will be one that neither the Class of 2024 nor the community will soon forget. Technology/ Auditorium Director Phil DeBrot may have said it best: “Hart Public Schools is a close-knit organization. We are a family, and Troy Moran was an outstanding member of this family. Even though time will eventually heal everything, this tragedy will definitely leave a scar.” Postscript: Hart Public Schools closed at 11:30 a.m. yesterday (Thursday) to allow students, staff and friends to attend Moran’s funeral.