Supporters push for the reinstatement of Dean of Students Tom Black. (Photo from Change.org)
They continue to turn up the heat in creative ways.
The fan club for Coupeville High School Dean of Students Tom Black is using old-school paint and new-school social media to drive home their point.
While they understand budget cuts are necessary after district officials came up short on keeping the general fund in line with the wishes of the school board, cutting Black is not the answer.
The rock in front of the CHS gym was painted in support of the jack of all trades recently, with siblings Moira and Gabe Reed launching the hashtag #bringbackblack.
A photo of that rock was quickly shared across Instagram, popping up repeatedly on the stories of Wolf students and parents.
Now, a petition has been launched on the popular web site change.org, calling for Black to be reinstated, with cuts coming elsewhere.
Petition organizer Gabe Reed wrote:
“Tom Black is easily the most important part of the Coupeville School environment.
“He’s helped countless students graduate when their odds were low, helped steer them away from suicide, and keeps the overall environment at school a safe space for students.
“I can’t even imagine what it would be like if Mr. Black were to be gone.”
The petition can be seen at:
https://www.change.org/p/keep-tom-black-as-the-coupeville-dean-of-students?source_location=search
Coupeville Sports 
Here are my two cents:
It felt like a punch in the gut when I heard that Dean of Students Tom Black had been terminated by Coupeville High School as part of their budget process. This is a mistake. A mistake that will have drastic consequences to many current and future students of Coupeville High School.
As a parent of two former Coupeville High School students and a current middle school student, I know from personal experience that Mr. Black selflessly helped a great number of students, including my own sons. When one of my own sons was having an extremely difficult time, due in great part to the Covid remote learning, I reached out to Mr. Black and shared my concern. Within an hour, Mr. Black was at my home having a heart-to-heart conversation with my son. I don’t know what they talked about, but it was enough to keep my son in school and he has since graduated with honors. I have many other examples of the positive things Mr. Black has done for my kids, both big and small. I have just as many examples of the extraordinary things Mr. Black has done for other kids we know. Dean of Students is not just a job for Mr. Black – he is ALL IN for the wellbeing of his students.
Mr. Black genuinely cares for kids. They know that, and because of that, they look forward to seeing him. They trust him, respect him, and take his advice. I cannot imagine how many kids went on to graduate that otherwise would have dropped out if Mr. Black hadn’t been an influence in their lives. I personally know of several. On this, a value cannot be placed. If the Superintendent and Board put the well-being of the present and future students of Coupeville High School in the forefront, they will look elsewhere to cut the budget.
Eric M. Ohme