KARI BLURTON
Hays Post

Hays High School Band Director Craig Manteuffel is happy to hand over his baton to the man hired to replace him, Matt Rome.

Rome is a former student of Manteuffel’s and is also a familiar face at HHS as a student-teacher for the band program.

Rome will graduate with a degree in music education from Fort Hays State University in May.

Rome spent Friday shadowing Manteuffel and talking with the students he will teach next school year.

“Matt is ready to go” and is not “your normal just bachelor degree kind of kid just out of student teaching,” Manteuffel said. “He has been teaching these kids, I bring him in and he works with my kids in the summer. … He knows the program, and he knows he can take the program farther than me and that is what I’m wanting him to do.”

Manteuffel said the students were excited after talking with Rome about his plans for the future.

Rome admitted he is a bit nervous following in the footsteps of his former teacher and longtime mentor.

“I have huge, huge shoes to fill, but I am really excited to take a crack at it,” Rome said.

In April, Manteuffel announced he was leaving the district after 19 years to join the Kansas State High School Activities Association this summer.