By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Goessel USD 411’s new junior/senior high school principal had hoped to go there even before he knew the job was open.

New Principal Scott Boden taught science at Hesston High School for a dozen years. He completed his master’s degree in school administration from Baker University in the spring.

Boden felt it was time for him to transition into school administration, so he applied for several jobs.

He turned down a job offer in White City for family reasons.

About that time, he told his wife, Rachel, that it would be wonderful if a job was open at Goessel. So when the job became available, he was excited to apply.

As a scholars’ bowl coach taking his team to compete at Goessel, he had noticed the school’s facilities were “great” for a school its size. He said he has also noticed a lot of community support for the school.

Both of those attributes are important to a principal, Boden said.

He said his first task as principal would be to meet with and get to know the teachers and staff. He plans to meet with teachers throughout the summer.

Boden said he was a little nervous because it was his first job as principal, but he’s excited because people have been very supportive.

“My No. 1 thing is to provide a quality education to the students we serve,” he said.

Other goals can interfere with that, but as long as education is the first priority, things will work out for the best, he said.

Boden and his wife have four children — all school- or preschool-age — and are expecting a fifth child in August.