Erik Buchholz transfers to middle school teaching

After 11 years as Washington High School’s principal, Erik Buchholz is transferring into a teaching position at the middle school.

The Washington school board confirmed the transfer during its Wednesday night meeting. Buchholz said he felt it was time to give someone else the reins.

“There’s always a point where you feel like maybe you’ve done what you can,” he said. “It’s necessary that somebody different has the ability to get our kids what they need. I feel like I’m at that point right now.”

Buchholz will teach careers and technical education, a job he said he’s already familiar with, having been a middle school teacher in the district before his stint as a principal.

“What I’ll be teaching at the middle school will be something very similar to what I taught at middle school 20 years ago,” he said. “I taught a careers program, I taught conflict resolution, study skills, and a course … based off of Steven Covey’s and Sean Covey’s ‘Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ and teens.”

Buchholz cited personal reasons for the change of pace. He said that while the COVID-19 pandemic was one factor, there was no single tipping point that prompted his decision.

“There’s no real last straw to things,” he said. “Everybody has a lot of different things that take effect in their lives, and it’s a matter of learning to control the things you can control and not try to control the things that are out of your control … I didn’t do a very good job of that this past year.”

The district has begun its search for a replacement. Superintendent Willie Stone said the application process would close June 21, but declined to comment on how many had already expressed interest in the position.

“We’re looking for somebody that is going to enhance our culture at our buildings and continue to enhance our academic and behavioral and social-emotional areas,” Stone said. “We also want to find somebody that is great at creating relationships with students and with staff and with community members.”