Article and photos by Amelia Wigton • Headliner News
hey poked fun of his love of the media, his
unique “Dr. K-isms,” his tweets and his ability to
turn any advice into an analogy about sports.
The White River Conference Center in Springfield
was filled with laughter — sometimes to the point
of tears — as roasters talked about the man sitting in a
make-shift throne on the stage: Nixa Superintendent Stephen
Kleinsmith, affectionately known as Dr. K.
The Oct. 14 event — Dr. K: The Man. The Myth. The
legend. — was a fundraiser for the Nixa Education Foundation
while honoring the man who has been at the helm
of the Nixa School District for 18 years. Dr. K is retiring at
the end of this school year.
“I speak for the board when I say, you have done an
average job. It hasn’t worked out. You gave it a good try
over the last 18 years, but I think it’s a good time for you
to retire,” School Board Member Brent Dunn said straightfaced.
Dunn was one of four known roasters for the night,
with a few family members thrown in as mystery roasters.
As dinner wrapped up, Master of Ceremonies David Liss
brought Dr. K to the stage, unveiling the throne and saying
it’s “time to change the channel to Comedy Central.”
The first roaster was a mystery guest, Dr. K’s brother,
Mark Kleinsmith.
“When I saw the title of this — The man. The myth. The
legend. — I looked at my wife and we just started laughing,”
Mark said.
Mark shared chapters of his younger brother’s life,
including how family lore is that Dr. K remembers being
born, the time he learned a second language called cursing
and growing up in a family with six kids.
Continued on page 8
FALL 2017 THE NEST NIXA PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAGAZINE 7