After 40 years of being a teacher and 24 of them at Conway Springs High School, band teacher Dennis Kerr is retiring. Kerr has been a part of many people’s lives during his time in Conway Springs. 

Kerr is often called a “legend” throughout the school for his music skills and his personality. Kerr’s final concert is May 10, and he will be playing the drums during the final combined bands song.

“I’m excited for it, but it’s something I’m going to miss,” he said.

Kerr said he had lots of good moments with the kids he has taught over the years. Something he said he would miss after his retirement was being around the kids and making music with them.

“(Some of my best memories include) being able to travel and take students places they’ve never been, and having the students experience something for the first time, like flying for the first time,” he said. 

Kerr also said he is looking forward to a lot of things after his retirement, especially not setting his alarm and not having his life dictated by bells.

“Overall, it’s been a very good career, and as long as I took the opportunity to learn something new every chance I got, made everything just that much better,” said Kerr.

Kerr graduated from Wichita North High School in 1977, received his Bachelor’s of Music Education in 1981 and Master’s of Music Education in 1989 from Wichita State University, where he met his wife Ellen.