Barbara Louise Miller
April 20, 2026
After 35 years of teaching, many people would start to consider retiring. As of right now, this is not a possibility for Mr. Janke.
Mr. Janke, or “JJ” as he’s known, has been a steady presence for thousands of students in the Kelso School District. He’s such a vital part of the Hilander community that, 9 years ago, students, staff and friends raised money to get Mr. Janke a motorized wheelchair so he could continue teaching as a substitute.
Now, Hilanders are coming together again for JJ. The goal? $150,000 raised to establish a “Community-Funded Pension” to allow Mr. Janke to retire.
Unfortunately, Mr. Janke is caught in the middle, financially. There is no pension for someone that subs as a teacher; despite being born with Cerebral Palsy, he cannot get on disability assistance because he financially doesn’t qualify, but, his social security is not enough to survive on to support himself and his 99-year-old mother Rose.
Calling him a “True Highlander,” Rick Davis saw the need, and decided it’s time to rally for the man who’s given his life to our local students for decades, “He continues to have to work. He’s 65 years old in a wheelchair; comes in the rain, the snow, the sleet. It’s getting to the point where substituting is getting more difficult. Pretty amazing guy. He deserves to be able to retire.”
Mr. Davis, former teacher and friend, has set up a GoFundMe account for Mr. Janke. Since it went live on Thursday, they’re now at about 40% of their goal. You can learn more about Mr. Janke and find ways to support by clicking here.
