NAPPANEE — With just days remaining until the close of the 2012-13 school year, the students and staff of Wakarusa Elementary can enjoy their summer break with the assurance that once the new school year begins this fall, there will be new leadership at the helm.
During the Monday evening meeting of the Wa-Nee Community Schools Board of School Trustees, the board gave its approval to the selection of John Payne as the successor to outgoing principal Larry Nafziger, who will be retiring at the conclusion of the year. Nafziger has served as the principal of Wakarusa Elementary since 1992.
It was evident from the start of the meeting that the hiring of Payne was a much anticipated item on the agenda. The audience seating was brimming to capacity, parking spaces were scarce to find and the level of enthusiasm was palpable.
Payne’s most recent administrative role was that of serving as the principal for Woodland Elementary School in Elkhart. He is a graduate of Oregon-Davis School Corp. and Bethel College, where he was a standout player in basketball. His wife, Dawn, was also a Bethel grad and star athlete, and they are the parents of four young children.
Payne’s new contract will take effect on July 1 and continue until June 30, 2014.
Superintendent Joe Sabo spoke of the process involved that culminated in the affirmative naming of Payne. He mentioned that Payne emerged as the leading contender from among 22 who expressed interest in the job. A committee of 10 Wakarusa Elementary faculty members and four Wa-Nee administrators spent several weeks diligently poring over the applications, providing their advice and input and lending their expertise in the decision making efforts.
“He comes highly recommended and will be an excellent leader for the Wakarusa staff and community,” Sabo said. “After visiting with him at Woodland Elementary, I was impressed, seeing the way the procedures were being carried out, the cleanliness of the facility, the students. I really felt that John would be a great fit.”
Sabo acknowledged that the person who would take on the principal’s role after Nafziger’s departure would be following an admirable legacy, even joking that such an individual might be asked to “walk on water.” Sabo then shared with the board some impressive scholastic statistics, observing that since Payne became the principal of Woodland Elementary, test scores for the students have risen by an average of about 20 points. Sabo noted that Wa-Nee’s median testing scores fall around the range of 80s, so if Payne could achieve that same feat in this district, that would be quite an accomplishment.
Payne said, “I just want to thank everyone. This is such a warm place, and it has definitely exceeded our expectations. I take my job very seriously. You have some really great things going on here, yet I will always strive to do better at every opportunity I can. We’ve heard many great things about this community, and for that, you are to be commended.”
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John Payne is the new principal at Wakarusa Elementary School. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
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