Nathan Polston taught at Leesburg Elementary School for seven years, but effective Monday he’ll be back at the school in a new role – principal.
During a special meeting Friday, the Warsaw School Board approved the 2002 Warsaw Community High School graduate as the next Leesburg principal.
“I’m just extremely excited for the opportunity to go back and lead that staff. It is a great teaching staff,” he said in a telephone interview Friday afternoon.
Nathan replaces Randy Dahms, who was approved as the principal at Mentone Elementary School July 13. Dahms replaced Angela Miller, who left Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. after 17 years for Caston School Corp.
Dr. David Hoffert, Warsaw Community School Corp. superintendent, said, “We are very excited to have Mr. Nate Polston joining the WCS administrative team as the principal of Leesburg Elementary. Upon posting the Leesburg position, we had an extensive pool of experienced candidates. Through the interview process, Mr. Polston showcased his instructional and administrative leadership skills. In returning back to Warsaw, where Mr. Polston began his career in education, his knowledge of WCS will provide a smooth transition into his new role as principal of Leesburg Elementary.”
Nathan most recently served as principal at Pierceton Elementary from 2013 to 2015. He taught at Leesburg Elementary School from 2007 to 2013, according to a press release from WCS.
“It was a tough decision,” he said. “I was going back and forth for awhile. After a lot of prayer and thought, I felt like this is where God wanted me. If not, he would have closed the door on this opportunity.”
He said Pierceton Elementary is a great school and he couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity he had there with the great teachers and staff.
Going back to Leesburg, he said he still has connections there.
“Nathan as an administrator will be different than Nathan as a teacher. I’m the same person, but in a different role,” he said.
He said he looks forward to keeping Leesburg moving forward in the right direction.
“We’ll get in there and have a conversation with all the grade-level teams” and take a look at what needs to be worked on, he said.
Nathan is the son of Warsaw School Board Secretary Randy Polston, former principal of Harrison Elementary School.
“Needless to say, I am one very proud father, just to see Nathan progress in his own career like this,” Randy said in a telephone interview Friday afternoon.
When Nathan declared elementary education as his major in college at Indiana Wesleyan University, Randy said he was “busting at the seams at that point.”
Nathan earned his bachelor of science degree in elementary education from IWU and then began his teaching career with WCS.
“When he made the decision to head into administration, that also made me proud,” Randy said.
The press release from WCS states Nathan received a master of science in education for educational leadership from Indiana University/Purdue University in Fort Wayne.
Randy said the two of them have had many educational discussions, and Nathan “is his own man” who felt God was guiding him in this direction in the best interest of children.
“He enjoyed his two years at Pierceton Elementary School and learned a lot there. When the position at Leesburg opened, we discussed it,” Randy said.
Nathan told his dad he prayed a lot about it and discussed it with his wife, Krista. When Nathan decided to throw his hat into the process, Randy said he stayed out of it at that point.
When the school board made its decision to hire Nathan as the Leesburg principal, Randy said he was once again “busting at the seams.”
“I’m very proud of him. He’s becoming a strong leader and going in the direction God guided him. When he got the call, he was very excited,” Randy said. “To see him follow this career path … he is his own leader. I’m a very proud father and Rachael is a very proud mother.”
As a school board member, Randy also will be Nathan’s boss, but both said that won’t be a problem.
“It’s father/son for life,” Randy said. “It’s school board member and administrator for career. He knows the relationship he’s in.”
“I don’t see any problems with it at all. I see him as Dad. (WCS Chief Academic Officer David) Robertson and Hoffert are my direct evaluators,” Nathan agreed.
Nathan’s other professional development includes basic and advanced school safety training, according to the WCS release. He is currently an Indiana Principal Leadership Institute member.
He and Krista, a teacher at Madison Elementary School, have two sons, Maddox and Nash.
(Story By The Times Union)
