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Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Tuesday, May 20, 2008

WACS to seek new leadership: Principal leaves for Mayo position

By Nolan Rosenkrans | Winona Daily News

Winona Area Catholic Schools is looking for a new principal.

Scott Walker, principal for the past five years of the three elementary schools that comprise the WACS system, announced to parents and students Friday that he has accepted a position as an education specialist in the Department of

Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Mayo Clinic.

Walker’s resignation took WACS administration by surprise.

“It was unexpected,” said the Rev. William Becker, pastor of Saint Mary’s Parish and canonical administrator for WACS. “It’s part of life, though, and we aren’t the only school that is going through transition.”

The WACS board decided to turn today’s meeting into a closed session to discuss a time frame for finding a replacement.

“After the meeting, we’ll try to update the community about the timeline and the process,” Becker said.

Walker, who taught biology for Cotter High School for four years before brief stints as principal at both Cotter Junior High School and Cotter High School, said that while he hadn’t been looking for a new position, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

“It’s a perfect fit for me,” Walker said. “I’ll be dealing with a subject area I’m very familiar with.”

A father of two former and two current WACS students, Walker had nothing but good things to say about the system comprised of St. Mary’s Primary School, Cathedral Elementary School and St. Stanislaus Middle School.

“I’m terribly proud of the education WACS students are getting, and that’s one of the main reasons that my family and I are staying in Winona,” Walker said.

Walker became principal at WACS just months before the school system was embroiled in an embezzlement scandal that saw a former finance officer sent to prison for defrauding the schools of more than a quarter of a million dollars. Becker credited the departing administrator with leading WACS through that time.

“Scott was a tremendous leader in restoring us to financial balance and accountability,” Becker said. “He had an excellent rapport with faculty, and he is highly respected.”