Amid talk of major renovations or an entire new building, Waterloo Junior High School will soon have a new principal as well.

Approved by the Waterloo School Board Monday evening, former Athletic Director Mitch North will be returning to the district over the summer.

North graduated from Sparta High School back in 2001, furthering his education at Southeast Missouri State University with degrees in secondary education and social studies.

His first job was at an alternative school in Centralia. He worked there two years, recalling that the administrator was stepping away at the time which led to him taking on some administrative duties himself.

North thus found himself inspired to take his career in education out of the classroom.

“It just was kind of always a goal to go from the classroom to being a principal,” North said.

Returning to Sparta High School for five years, his first big step in administration was as assistant principal of Sparta Lincoln School.

North and his family then moved to Waterloo so he could fill the athletic director position, though he also found a love for the community.

After four years, he left the district to join Career Center of Southern Illinois to serve as its principal and assistant director before departing in 2024.

His return to Waterloo marks the end of a two-year period serving as principal of Red Bud Elementary School.

Echoing what he said upon his departure from CCSI, North said he found himself drawn toward the world of education thanks in no small part to his family, with his brother, wife and many relatives being teachers.

His parents, naturally, have had the largest impact on him.

“One of the biggest things that pulled me into education is you grow up admiring your parents and respecting what they do, then you hit a point in life where you’re like, ‘Well I’m not gonna do what they did. I’m gonna be different,’” North said. “And then you get to college, and you think about things and figure out you’re gonna go do exactly what they did.”

He recalled his past tenure in the Waterloo School District, noting how he came to enjoy the community as well as the district itself.

“I made a lot of really good friends and colleagues here in the Waterloo district,” North said. “The job itself was a lot, and I never thought being athletic director was going to be the last job that I had. I still wanted to be a principal. It was a good experience, and I learned a lot. I met a lot of great people.”

He further remarked on the time he spent working with current WJHS Principal Nick Schwartz.

North added that, while he was by no means desperate to leave Red Bud – he spoke fondly of his colleagues, district support and working with Red Bud Superintendent of Schools Jonathan Tallman –  he has always been interested in returning to Waterloo.

“When I left Waterloo, it was in the pursuit of becoming a principal, and I’ve wanted to come back and be a principal in Waterloo all along as well,” North said.

He reiterated his interest in working in the same city he’s come to enjoy living in.

“Some people don’t want to work in the community that they live in, and I wanna be all-in,” North said. “I want both feet in one place.”

Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron offered comment on North’s return to the district, noting that he was among a dozen applicants and ultimately received the recommendation of the interview committee largely made up of WJHS teachers.

Charron remarked on North’s love of Waterloo, having heard him say it was a dream to serve as a principal in the district.

“I’m happy for him for this to become a reality, and I look forward to having him as a new member of our administrative team for next year,” Charron said.

North is set to arrive at WJHS in the midst of some major changes at the school, with substantial renovations, a partial replacement or an entirely new building all being floated as possibilities to address the aging building.

While some might shy away from such a commotion, North said he’s eager to get involved and help where he can.

“There’s obviously a lot of unknowns with the physical building at Waterloo Junior High right now,” North said. “Some people might look at that and say, ‘Oh, why would you wanna be part of that?’ But I think it would be really cool to be a part of redesigning, restructuring or adding on or whatever it is that ends up happening, getting to put your fingerprints on something that’s gonna serve students in our community for many, many years to come.”

He further spoke about some of the more typical expectations of an incoming administrator, voicing his hopes to work with WJHS staff and faculty and see what they need from him.

“I’m looking forward to learning what kind of direction the staff is open for, and the people that have been there a long time, what are they looking for?” North said. “What are they hoping to see with new leadership?”