New LHS principal ready for larger school’s challenges
Steven Nilhas’ commute to class at Kansas University will be quicker now that he has been named Lawrence High School’s next principal.
“I’ve spent the last four years driving to Lawrence off and on,” said Nilhas, a doctoral student at KU who is also superintendent of the Hill City school district about 275 miles west of Lawrence.
The Lawrence school board unanimously endorsed his hiring Monday night. He’ll start July 1 with a salary of about $90,000.
“This is one of the premier high schools in the state,” Nilhas said. “Lawrence is one of the most beautiful cities and best communities a person could live in and raise a family.”
Nilhas, who turned 45 Saturday, graduated from Washburn University and worked on the family wheat and cattle farm before starting a career in education.
He has been a high school teacher in Palco; director of curriculum and staff development for the Fort Hays State Educational Development Center, which served 10 school districts; secondary school principal in Grainfield; and Fort Hays State University instructor. He has been Hill City’s superintendent and forensics coach since 1999.
He also earned a master’s degree in education from FHSU.
But he has never led a school the size of LHS. Three times the number of students attend LHS than are enrolled in the entire Hill City district.
“The citizens of USD 497 have been strong supporters of public education,” Nilhas said. “I want to be part of this support because I passionately believe public education is the key to a strong economy and critical to the survival of our way of life.”
Nilhas (pronounced NI-lus) was superintendent during Hill City’s assimilation of the Morland school district last year. It led to closure of Morland’s elementary school and high school.
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School consolidation gains momentum statewide“It’s not without some pain,” he said. “Consolidation is going to become more of a common occurrence.”
He has been following debate in Lawrence about the school board’s proposed $59 million bond issue. It includes $8.9 million to renovate and expand LHS and would close two elementary schools.
“The voters will have to decide what is best,” he said. “The community over time will do what’s in the best interests of kids. It will all work out.”
Nilhas’ wife, Faith is a medical technologist at Hays Medical Center. They have two children in college and a daughter in sixth grade.
He replaces retiring LHS Principal Dick Patterson, who has led the school since 1997.
About 30 people applied for the vacancy. The six finalists were Nilhas; Tammy Heenan, LHS associate principal; and the principals of high schools in Ottawa, Baldwin, Gardner-Edgerton and Arlington Heights, Ill.