Richard Hutchinson
Ottumwa High School has begun the search for a new principal after the recent resignation of Richard Hutchinson.
Hutchinson was hired in 2019 and has served as principal for the past two years. He spent 15 years in the classroom and 22 years as a school administrator prior to coming to Ottumwa.
Health reasons were a factor in Hutchinson’s decision. “It’s hard to get around that building at my age,” he said. “I don’t want to do the job halfway.” The district is very progressive and has a lot of new programs on the horizon, he noted. “OHS needs a leader who can lead the school into the future.”
Although he feels his health is impacting his leadership ability in a large, four-story building, he is not ready to retire. He hopes to find a position that will allow him to continue to work with youth. “I don’t want to close that door,” he said. “I’ve been pretty successful working with youth but it needs to be the right fit.”
He is proud of the positive connections students made with staff as a result of programs he initiated. Last spring, in spite of a pandemic, he was happy with the way OHS was able to celebrate with a drive-up graduation.
His favorite part of being a principal was working with students. “I enjoy watching them become successful,” he said.