No classes today at Clark County school district due to funeral of longtime employee

CLARK COUNTY — A Clark County school district will be closed Friday to allow students and staff to say goodbye to a beloved employee.

News Center 7′s Xavier Hershovitz reported from Greenon Local Schools Friday morning on News Center 7′s Daybreak.

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Classes are canceled at Greenon Local Schools in Enon so students and faculty can attend the funeral of a longtime custodian, Mike Taylor.

News Center 7 previously reported that Taylor lost his battle with cancer last weekend. He worked as a custodian since 1989.

We talked with people he worked with at the district, and they said that this was a tough loss. They did not just lose a coworker; they lost a friend.

One of those was Shelley Williams, who is a kitchen worker for Greenon Local Schools.

“We went to school together here at Greenon Local. He was just, he made it fun. It was just a great place to be with Mike,” she told News Center 7. “I think everyone that came in contact with Mike. They had great stories to tell he was just a good overall guy.”

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Darrin Knapke, the Superintendent for Greenon Local Schools, told News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott that Taylor had a unique connection with students.

“He showed them what it meant to be respectful and also taught them just dedication, what he did every single day.”

Knapke also said that Taylor was close with his co-workers.

“Staff is hanging in there the best that they can,” he stated.

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He also told News Center 7 that he wanted to do something to help those who were missing Taylor.

“We did decide to close school on Friday to show our respects to Mike Taylor,” Knapke said.

Greenon Local Schools also posted the announcement on social media.

It is a decision that meant a lot to Williams.

“I was absolutely excited that we were going to cancel school so we could honor Mike,” Williams said.

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The funeral is scheduled for later this afternoon at 1 p.m. at Adkins Funeral Home at the 7000 block of Dayton Road in Enon, according to his online obituary.

Instead of flowers, the family is asking for people to consider donating to the American Cancer Society.

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