La Porte City Elementary’s next principal, Mary Peterson (center front) of Dunkerton pictured recently with her family. Peterson – currently a literacy coach at Waterloo’s Orange Elementary – was appointed by the Union school board on April 15 to lead the elementary school at the conclusion of the current school year in the wake of Principal Todd Parker’s retirement. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

LA PORTE CITY – Union Community School District has tapped literacy coach Mary Peterson – a resident of Dunkerton who works for the Waterloo Community School District – to be the next La Porte City Elementary principal.

During the Monday, April 15 school board meeting, Peterson’s appointment was approved as part of the consent agenda. Peterson will take over as principal beginning this July following Principal Todd Parker’s retirement.

When reached by the Telegraph last week, Peterson – currently a literacy coach at Waterloo’s Orange Elementary School – expressed excitement and enthusiasm for her new role.

“I am deeply honored and excited to be selected as the next principal at LPC Elementary for next school year. I look forward to starting my new journey of serving the staff, students, and parents of LPC Elementary – committing to empowering learning environments where everyone feels valued, challenged, and supported so they can reach their full potential.”

Peterson was one of four finalists for the position. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and a PK-12 administrator’s license from UNI, as well as a master’s degree in education from Viterbo University. She began her career 20 years ago as a classroom teacher. She has also worked as a Title I teacher and most recently as a literacy coach.

Peterson was profiled in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier back in 2017 as part of a story on Orange Elementary’s new summer bookmobile program – a program that was started in an effort to combat the dreaded “summer slide.” As part of the well-received program, a school van full of books made weekly stops at various locations throughout Orange Elementary’s community including playgrounds, churches, apartments, and daycares.

“The most effective way to stop the summer slide is to get books into the hands of kids,” Peterson said at the time as part of the article.

While she works in Waterloo, Peterson and her husband reside in Dunkerton with their youngest child – a junior in high school – along with their three dogs; their older two children live in Evansdale and Jesup.

Petersen will begin leading La Porte City Elementary on July 1, 2024.