Cooper Visits Schools as Part of Classroom Tour

Superintendent Blake Cooper visited every school in Churchill County School District on Sept. 21, stepping into classrooms from pre-K through high school as part of his goal to visit every classroom in the district during his first year as superintendent.

Board Trustee Amber Getto, Assistant Superintendent Mike Walker, Human Resources Director Cameron Sorensen, Human Resources Analysts Janel Federico-Buchan and Savannah Peel, and Public Information Officer Kaitlin Ritchie accompanied Cooper throughout the day. They spoke with students and staff and observed classroom activities across the district.

The visits ranged from interactive play and fine-motor activities with the district’s youngest students to research, data analysis, classroom discussions, and hands-on projects in the upper grades. At Churchill County High School, students were working on projects that included designing countries in history, woodshop projects, Greenwave Games work, and data collection and analysis.

“One of the most valuable parts of visiting every school in one day was seeing the progression of learning across ChurchillCSD,” Cooper said. “I could see the foundations being built with our youngest learners and then see how those skills continue to grow as students move through elementary school, middle school, and eventually high school.”

Cooper said the visits also gave district leaders an opportunity to see the relationships and classroom environments that support student learning.

“What stood out to me just as much as the learning itself were the relationships behind it,” Cooper said. “I saw teachers who truly know their students and classrooms where clear expectations and routines create an environment where students can learn, participate, and take on new challenges.”

Cooper plans to visit every classroom in ChurchillCSD by the end of the 2026-27 school year. He also plans to invite different members of the Board of Trustees and District Office staff to join him during future visits.

“I want to see what is happening in our classrooms, understand what is working well across our schools and where we have opportunities to grow,” Cooper said. “The more time I spend in our schools and with the people doing this work every day, the better we can understand how to support our students and continue moving ChurchillCSD forward.”