RACHEL —
North Marion High School was established in 1979 after several surrounding high schools were merged.
Security guard Sheldon Tennant has been on guard ever since.
“I’ve been at the school for 33 years but I’ve been doing this for 49 years,” he said.
Tennant worked at Mannington High School before it closed, then came to NMHS when it opened.
“I’ve been here since 1979,” he said. “I love every bit of it.”
Tennant’s day starts at 6 a.m. when he arrives at the school.
“I get on the road at about 10 till 7 a.m. and do traffic detail, getting the kids in and out and the buses in and out,” he said.
He does traffic detail until 7:40 a.m., then heads inside to patrol the school.
“I take care of the kids,” Tennant said.
At 10:30 a.m. Tennant works the school’s first lunch, then from 11:30 a.m. to noon he works the second lunch.
After lunch, Tennant goes back to patrolling the school.
“I walk around through the school, patrol the grounds and make sure everything is OK and all the kids are fine,” he said.
Tennant goes back outside to do traffic detail at 2:30 p.m.
“I get about 35 buses on their way in less than three minutes,” he said.
His day usually ends at 3 p.m. after traffic detail, but depending on what events are going on at the school, he might have to return later that evening.
“All the functions on school property, I’m usually the one that’s here,” Tennant said.
