In a small school, you don’t just wear a lot of hats — you switch them mid-stride, without missing a beat. For Lick Creek’s Sherri Houseman, that’s never been a problem. In her decades of service to the district, she’s been the district bookkeeper, the athletic scorekeeper, the lunch lady, the alumni mom — and that’s just the official list. The truth is, if it happens at Lick Creek, there’s a good chance Sherri’s been part of it.

She’s kept score in the gym while cheering for kids she’s known since preschool. She’s served lunches to students whose parents she once served lunches to. She’s balanced the district’s books with the same meticulous care she’s given to decorating classrooms for the holidays. And she’s done it all with a smile that says, “This is my place. These are my people.”

It’s that deep personal connection — the kind that can’t be bought or trained — that makes Lick Creek feel less like a school and more like an extended family. The district’s history isn’t written in board minutes or yearbooks alone; it lives in the daily rhythms of people like Sherri, who know the faces, the stories, and the traditions that make this place special.

Ask her about the Lick Creek community and you won’t get a speech — you’ll get stories. The way everyone pitches in when there’s a need. How a snow day here doesn’t just mean kids sleeping in; it’s a whole network of parents, grandparents, and neighbors shifting schedules to make sure the little ones are cared for. Or the way a ballgame in the gym can draw three generations of a family into the bleachers on a Tuesday night.

For Sherri, the role has never been about a paycheck — it’s been about belonging. “I’ve been blessed to be part of this school,” she says, and you can hear that she means it. Over the years, she’s watched students grow into confident young adults, graduate, and then bring their own children through Lick Creek’s doors. The continuity is more than sentimental — it’s the backbone of the district’s culture.

That’s what makes Lick Creek different. In larger districts, staff turnover can blur the lines of memory and tradition. But here, people remember. They remember who was in what play, which teacher loved to dress up for Halloween, who hit the winning shot against a rival school. And they remember because people like Sherri are still here to tell the stories — often while keeping the scoreboard, serving up a hot lunch, or making sure the bills get paid.

It’s easy to measure a school’s success in test scores, budgets, or trophies. But in a place like Lick Creek, the truest measure is in the connections — the trust between parents and teachers, the pride of alumni, the laughter in the lunchroom, and the unspoken understanding that everyone here has each other’s back. Sherri embodies that. She’s proof that a school isn’t just a building with classrooms — it’s a living, breathing part of the community, woven into its daily life.

As Lick Creek looks toward the future, the foundation built by people like Sherri Houseman is what will keep the district strong. Generations may pass through its doors, but the heartbeat stays the same: steady, dependable, and rooted in the belief that when you know your people — really know them — you can build something remarkable together.

And if you ever doubt that, just look for Sherri. She’ll be there, in the middle of it all, wearing whichever hat the day requires, making Lick Creek feel exactly like home.