Fairfield High School principal to step down

FAIRFIELD – Fairfield High School Principal Aiddy Phomvisay has announced he will step down at the end of this school year to take a job elsewhere.

Phomvisay will become the superintendent at Estherville Lincoln Central in northwest Iowa on July 1. He said he was attracted to the job because of its proximity to his childhood home in Alta, in the same corner of the state.

“It’s a really nice community and I’m excited for the opportunity to return to northwest Iowa,” Phomvisay said. “It’s always been a goal of mine to become a superintendent. A superintendent can have such an impact on the entire community, and I’ve always had a strong passion to make community partnerships for the benefit of our students and entire community.”

Phomvisay will continue with his duties as Fairfield High School principal through June, and he said he’s grateful for the few remaining months he has with the district.

“My commitment is to give my best to the kids and continue to help them grow and develop,” he said.

Phomvisay is completing his second year as FHS principal. Before that, he was a social studies teacher in Ames, associate principal in West Des Moines, high school principal at Marshalltown, director of Central Campus for Des Moines Public Schools, and executive director of teaching and learning at Ottumwa Schools.

In his two years at the helm of FHS, Phomvisay is most proud of two accomplishments in particular: fostering a healing process, and creating business and community partnerships. When Phomvisay came to the district in the summer of 2022, the school was reeling from the death of FHS Spanish teacher Nohema Graber, who was murdered by two FHS students the prior school year. Phomvisay said it was important to establish a “culture of care and support” in the wake of that tragedy.

Phomvisay said he is proud of having expanded the high school’s work-based learning program, connecting students to local employers.

“This program will continue beyond me, and that’s because of our great staff and a supportive business community,” he said.

Phomvisay’s wife Mindy is a music teacher in the district at Washington and Pence elementary schools, and their youngest child, Ethan, is a third-grader at Pence. Phomvisay said all of them have enjoyed their time in Fairfield. He said the thing he’ll miss most about Fairfield is the kids.

“Even now as it has become public, the thing that has moved me the most, and what I’ve always enjoyed about being an administrator, are the students who had the greatest difficulty have been the most appreciative and expressive for the support we’ve given them,” Phomvisay said. “I’m going to miss the Trojans.”

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com