Retiring Eldorado ag teacher Bill Kittinger confident program is in good hands

Longtime Eldorado High School teacher Bill Kittinger, one of the most decorated agriculture teachers in Illinois, retired May 30 after 36 years.

Kittinger's entire career was at EHS.

Largely under Kittinger's direction, Eldorado High School has been named the Illinois Agriculture Program of the Year five times. In 1996 Kittinger was named Teacher of the Year at the Illinois State Fair.

He also was named the Syngenta Advocate for Agriculture Education national award winner - and got a tour of Switzerland, Germany and France as part of the prize.

Kittinger coached basketball for nine years and was also Eldorado Education Association President for six years. He directed the Future Farmers of America chapter at EHS, and was elected Illinois FFA Alumni vice president in January.

Kittinger was born and raised in Eldorado. He graduated from Eldorado High School in 1975, where he was a member of the FFA. Summers were spent on his grandfather's farm and helping his father in his local trucking business.

Bill and his wife, Sally, have five children, Logan, Alex, Riley, Chase and Addison. Logan, Alex and Riley have already passed through the EHS agriculture program. Chase and Addison are preparing for their high school years.

"So many people - like Charlie Sappington, Curt Robbins and John Kabat - have made the 36 years very enjoyable with many fun-filled memories," Kittinger said, adding he will always remember the good times and his wonderful students and FFA members.

After obtaining an associate degree, Kittinger transferred to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and graduated in 1979. He credits SIU professor Jim Legacy with introducing him to the agriculture education program. While student teaching at Pope County High School, Kittinger said, he also benefited from the teachings of instructor David Simms.

In 1981, Kittinger was hired as the agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Eldorado High School. He began a rebuilding process, starting with 22 FFA members.

He then made plans to build a greenhouse and start aquaculture and computer labs. Through grants, EHS rebuilt the agriculture shop and welding lab. Kittinger later added a new Agri Tech greenhouse and started the Eldorado FFA Vinyl Sign Chapter Cooperative.

In fall of 1995, EHS added a second agriculture teacher, David Jones. Seventeen years later in 2012, the school hired former student Erica James as a third agriculture teacher.

Altogether, Kittinger has hosted 16 student teachers at EHS with several remaining in the profession.

The FFA program has been active. His students combined for 16 American FFA degrees, more than 70 state FFA degrees, several Gold POAs, Section Bankers Plaques, Heritage and Cooperative chapter trips and numerous Section 25 FFA CDE winners.

Kittinger said he is proud of many of his former students, including the ones who have become agriculture teachers themselves - Marci Anderson, Wayne Allen, Erica James and Kaleb Irwin.

Former section President Cody Cusic is now the EHS assistant principal.

Kittinger said he looks forward to watching the Eldorado FFA program thrive under former students Erica James and Kaleb Irwin. He is confident they will be at EHS for many years to come, making it possible for him to relax and retire, and look back on his career with fondness.

"It was the ride of a lifetime," he said.