Handschuch Hired As Principal of Lacey High School

Current Lacey Middle School Principal Jim Handschuch will be serving as the new principal of the high school effective Sunday, July 1, Superintendent Dr. Sandra Brower announced in an open letter to the school community on Tuesday.

Handschuch has a “broad range of secondary experiences” having served as the middle school principal since 2008. Prior to that, he served as high school and middle school assistant principal as well as high school and middle school teacher.

“Mr. Handschuch is a student advocate at heart and believes that we can always do more for kids each and every day,” Brower said in the letter. “He recognizes the importance of building relationships and building team to improve our schools.”

The position at the high school opened after the Board of Education appointed current Principal William Zylinski as a new district supervisor as part of an

The administrative restructuring calls for a “full compliment of district supervision of instruction” from kindergarten through grade 12 in three areas: English-Language Arts; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM); and Humanities, which would include arts and “skills needed for readiness,” Brower said at the school board meeting.

Zylinski will now be the District Supervisor for Humanities. He will continue to make $122,435, as the move is lateral, Board President Jack Martenak previously said.

Handschuch has led many initiatives throughout his tenure as middle school principal, Brower said, his most recent being a new student schedule that creates an instructional block of language arts and math.

“I know that he is looking forward to the challenges and all of the exciting opportunities that high school brings for students and staff alike,” Brower said in the letter.

Handschuch was making $105,876 as principal of the middle school. His salary as high school principal is currently unavailable as Business Administrator James Savage is on vacation. 

Handschuch was not immediately available for comment as he was in a school district workshop today.

Please return to Lacey Patch as this story continues to develop.