David Waaso David Waaso of South Haven will be superintendent at Mackinac Island Public School starting in January. He will take over for interim superintendent Michael Bootz of Mackinaw City, who stepped into the role following the resignation of Roger Schrock in September.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge of leading the school district," Mr. Waaso told The St. Ignace News Friday, December 18. "I'm going to do my best to be there when school is back in session Monday, January 4."

He will be extra busy over the holidays finding a place to live on the Island, planning the move, and traveling to Louisiana to see his son, Skyler, be graduated from the University of Louisiana, Lafayette.

Mr. Waaso and his wife, Mary, have four other children, including Andrew, 25, Kale, who is a junior at Davenport University, Brodie, who is a freshman at Lake Michigan College, and sixth grade student Peyton.

The family has visited the Island many times through the years, said Mr. Waaso, often thinking about the school, living on the Island, and working there. He said his interview experience at the school Monday evening, December 7, confirmed that, if offered the job, he would accept.

"I got a good impression from the staff when I was interviewed," he said. "It just seems like a great little family of a learning environment and that's what I was looking for. I can't wait to get up there."

Mr. Waaso is the operations director at South Haven Public Schools, a position that is similar to an assistant principal. He is a Hillsdale College graduate, has been an elementary principal, high school and middle school assistant principal, athletic director, and a biology, conservation, and physical science teacher.

The Mackinac Island Board of Education approved hiring Mr. Waaso at its Thursday, December 17, regular meeting following a report from teachers Karen Allen and Susan Bennett, who visited South Haven last week, where they toured the school, attended a basketball game, and interviewed community members.

Ms. Allen said they interviewed a waitress, former students, residents, and the newspaper editor.

"Lots of people knew Dave Waaso," she said. "No one that we met had anything bad to say about him."

At the school they received a similar response, with some people crying and upset at learning he might be leaving.

"They couldn't say enough about him," said Ms. Allen. "They said he is just a stand-up guy who will give you 150%."

He is concerned about the five school buildings under his responsibility, they said, and he is knowledgeable on a variety of school facets from technology to athletics, including contract negotiations.

"What he doesn't know, he finds out," Mrs. Allen said. "He will research until he finds out, not the cheapest way to do it or the easiest way, but the best way to do it. The best way so that it will last."

Mrs. Bennett said they talked with former students who said if they were sent to his office, they were dealt with fairly.