Bossier Parish Schools

It takes a lot of people to keep a district the size of Bossier Schools running smoothly like a well-oiled machine. Enter Jason Kunath, whose unofficial title could be ‘Doer of all things Technology.’  

Kunath is Senior Technician in the Technology department, a position that has evolved like night and day over the 26 years he has worked with the district. Not only does technology look completely different than it did when Kunath began working, but as student enrollment has increased, so has the number of devices to manage. Thankfully for him, the department has grown, too. 

“When I first began, we had two technicians working in the field to service all of the schools and centers. That was before we added several campuses to accommodate district growth,” Kunath reflected. “There was even a period of about six months that I worked by myself covering all the schools until we hired a new technician, followed by one more shortly thereafter.”

The technology landscape has also changed dramatically, as has the scope of Kunath’s job.   

“When I began, we were dealing with heavy CRT monitors and loading Windows 98 on every new machine with floppy disks, and eventually moved to CDs to DVDs, and now we have an image server where we can click a few buttons and the computers image themselves for the most part with the latest version of Windows.” Kunath went on to elaborate, “I am also responsible for making sure that any and all technology projects with the district, such as cabling all of the schools with our E-Rate funds, goes as it should. We are currently at our last school for this project at Plain Dealing High School, and after almost four years, it is coming to a close. I was also responsible for making sure that cabling was done at the (former) Benton High Gym remodel and for the current JMAC (John McConathy Academic Complex) project.”  

Kunath is, indeed, a man in demand across the district; yet despite his heavy workload and busy days, he sports a positive attitude that does not go unnoticed. Benton High Principal Whitney Clark calls him “a machine.”

“I do not know how he does it, but he manages to keep the entire district running smoothly when it comes to technology,” Clark said. “Recently, we had multiple power outages during the month of November, with the most recent being during Thanksgiving break. Jason came to Benton High during the break and then again first thing when we returned on Monday morning to make sure our internet was working for state testing. We are not the only site he serves, but he treats every site as if we are the only sites he services. He will respond early in the morning or late at night if a principal reaches out with an issue. This is all so schools can continue serving students effectively each day.” 

Benton High secretary Shannon Furr added, “He can usually solve it (a technical problem) over the phone, but if he needs to come out to our campus he is always so helpful. I always say ‘If he can’t fix it, we must have broken it really good!’”  

It is not just what he does at work that causes people to take notice. Director of Technology Stewart Thompson noted what Kunath does outside of his day job, calling him “an amazing human.” 

“Of course, he’s here before anybody and leaving late. But his work in the community, his work in his church, his work in the foster community is pretty darn amazing,” Thompson shared. “Stuff he’s not going to get recognized for – he’s not doing it for any recognition – but the things he’s done and his family, not just Jason, a commitment to those that are in challenging situations, less fortunate, Jason and his family are the first ones to say ‘yes.’”  

As the oldest of 11 children, four of whom were adopted from foster care, Kunath and his wife felt the tug on their heart to do the same. 

“My wife and I have been foster parents for about 15 years now,” Kunath said. “Of all the kids we have had in our home, we have adopted four which includes a sibling group, a private adoption, and our youngest, who is about to be four in March. We also currently have one foster daughter that is nine. It keeps us busy. We also have two grown daughters.” 

It is evident Kunath has a heart of gold and now has a Gold Star to show for it. He was chosen for Bossier Schools’ employee of the month award and surprised at a gathering where he was applauded by his colleagues, district administration and Gold Star sponsor Bossier Federal Credit Union. 

Kunath expressed his gratitude, saying “I want to thank the Technology department as a whole, because without them I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have. I want to especially thank the guys I work with on a daily basis, because they are the ones that keep the teachers and staff happy when their equipment breaks down. I want to thank my wife and family for putting up with me this long and the many late nights and early mornings of work. (And) I want to thank God, because without His grace and mercy, I wouldn’t be where I am at in this world.”