Richard Hutchinson

Richard Hutchinson, principal at Webster City Community High School since 2021, will retire effective with the end of the 2023-24 school year.

“My wife and I have lived all over the state of Iowa, but I’m especially grateful to end my career here,” Hutchinson said Monday. ”

-Webster City has great schools and a great community.”

Hutchinson, 66, has worked 44 years as an educator and administrator, all of it in Iowa. His first job as assistant principal came at Saydel Community School District, in Polk County. He was later made principal there.

He went on to work as a principal in Urbandale for the next 11 years, before holding the same post in Glenwood, in western Iowa.

After serving as principal at Ottumwa High School two years, he assumed his present position in Webster City.

Realizing how difficult it is to fill school administrative positions, Hutchinson’s early announcement will give the district time to search for his replacement.

“It’s not just administration; finding classroom teachers is difficult across the state today,” he said.

Admitting both students and the job itself had changed over the years, Hutchinson is ready to give someone else a chance at what he called “this important work.”

Hutchinson — “Hutch” to his colleagues and students — is grateful to Webster City for “taking us in so graciously.”

He continued, “Webster City has been good to us; we’ve made some good friends here.”

When asked what the district might do better in future, he didn’t hesitate. “We have a large and growing population of Hispanic families here. We can do more to embrace and educate those students.”