Principal coming out of retirement to lead Hills Elementary

IOWA CITY – A veteran principal is coming out of retirement to lead Hills Elementary School.

Mike O'Leary, who retired three years ago after two decades as principal at Coralville Central Elementary School, will be the new principal at Hills, pending approval by the school board, the Iowa City school district announced Wednesday.

The position recently opened after Pat James left Hills to become the principal at Van Ellen Elementary, which also is in the Iowa City school district. Given the late timing and wanting to have “strong leadership” at Hills Elementary, district officials asked O'Leary to come out of retirement, according to a news release.

The school board and district administrators are currently weighing whether to keep Hills Elementary open. The school has the lowest enrollment and highest operating expenses per student among the district's 19 elementary schools, and in May a majority of school board members said Hills was too inefficient financially.

Central office administrators were out of the office Wednesday and unavailable for comment.

O'Leary said because he's been retired the past three years he didn't know enough to comment on the school's future. He said he's focusing on the upcoming school year.

“I love being a principal, and this gives me an opportunity to do it again,” said O'Leary, 60.

He said he will be considered an interim principal.

The position will be half time, as it has been in recent years, and O'Leary will be paid $52,500 if the school board approves his hire, as is expected.