WATERLOO - New principals were announced earlier this week at three schools.

Melissa Steggall will move from lead teacher at McKinstry Elementary School to principal at Edison Elementary. Principal Brad Schweppe will move from Longfellow Elementary to Logan Middle School. Andrew Miehe will move from assistant principal to principal at Bunger Middle School.

The recommendations and several other administrative appointments for 2008-09 still need to be formally approved by Waterloo Community Schools' Board of Education.

Steggall, 38, will succeed Bruce Potter, who is retiring at the end of this school year. She praised Potter's work at Edison.

"I just want to be able to support (the school's staff) as they're transitioning from his experience there," said Steggall.

"The staff is an excellent staff and what they have in place - how they do business - is working very well. So, it's not my plan to change that."

She added, "I think it's a really great fit with my expertise and what they need."

Steggall holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education/special education from the University of Northern Iowa, with a minor in behavior disorders and learning disabilities. She has also earned a master's degree from UNI in special education severe behavior disorders. Steggall will complete a second master's in education leadership at UNI in July.

She spent 10 years teaching at McKinstry before transferring to Dr. Walter Cunningham School for Excellence for about a year. For the past two years, she has been McKinstry's lead teacher.

Steggall said it was "pretty emotional" to tell McKinstry's staff she was leaving.

"I love McKinstry and I know I'll learn to love Edison, as well. But this is what shaped me to be who I am."

Schweppe, 37, is looking forward to getting started at Logan after the board's decision to close Longfellow, where he has been principal for five years. He succeeds Phillip Anderson, who will be on special assignment with the district next year to support at-risk programming. Anderson has submitted his resignation for the end of the 2008-09 school year, said district spokeswoman Sharon Miller.

"All of us at Longfellow have put a lot of effort into improving the school," said Schweppe. "I feel like we've come a long way, so it's sad to see that end. But now we've got to look forward to the opportunities that are coming up."

He added, "I've always wanted to stay on the east side and I do come from a background in intermediate school, which is fifth and sixth grade. So, it just seems like a good opportunity for me."

Schweppe was an assistant principal at Reed Academy for Engineering in Houston for four years before coming to the district. He has also taught second and fourth grade math in Texas. Schweppe holds a master's degree and mid-management certification from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Iowa State University.

Miehe, 30, succeeds Brenton Shavers, who has accepted an appointment to be the athletic director at East High School. He has been the school's assistant principal and athletic director since 2006.

"I am really excited to be out here at Bunger. They gave me a really great opportunity a couple years ago and I am happy to stick around and continue to do the things we're doing," he said.

"It's nice for the staff to have some stability," he added, noting the school has seen a lot of turnover in its administrators. "I heard two years is the record. My goal is to break the record."

Miehe holds a bachelor's degree in history/teaching from UNI and received his master's with a major in principalship in 2005. Before working at Bunger, he was a world studies teacher and coach at East High School.

Joining Miehe at Bunger as the assistant principal will be Deretha Fantroy, now a teacher there. She holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Central College and a master's degree in elementary and middle school math from UNI. Fantroy has been teaching math in the Waterloo Schools for 28 years.

She is currently completing requirements for her administrative license. Fantroy is also a past Gold Star Teacher Award winner.

Todd Coulter, now assistant principal/athletic director at Central Middle School, will be an assistant principal at Hoover Middle School next year, following the resignation of Peg Frey. Frey has accepted a position as principal in Illinois.

Coulter holds a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in health education from UNI. He received his master's in education leadership from UNI in 2005. Coulter completed his student teaching in Okinawa, Japan, and coached football and basketball at Hoover Intermediate School. He has also been a health teacher and physical education instructor at Crone Middle School in Naperville, Ill.

John Netty, now the assistant principal/athletic director at Logan Middle School, will take an assistant principal position at Central next year. Netty holds a bachelor's degree in English secondary teaching with a minor in coaching from UNI. He received his master's from UNI with a major in principalship. He taught English/language arts at Clarksville Community School for six years and two years before that at East Greene High School.

Miller said exact salaries for the newly appointed administrators will not be available until raises are approved for the next fiscal year.

Four other school administrative positions for next fall have yet to be filled in the district. Kari Gunderson at Expo High School and Liz Kilgard at Kingsley Elementary are both retiring.

East High Assistant Principal Kathryn Johnson is also retiring. In addition, the district needs to fill the assistant principal position at Logan as Netty moves to Central.

Contact Andrew Wind at (319) 291-1507 or andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.