NSASSP Announces 2023-2024 Nebraska High School Principal of the Year

By Jeff Steinbeck, NSASSP Public Relations Representative

The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals has selected Colin Bargen as the 2023 High School Principal of the Year. This award is presented annually to a principal who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in their school, region, and at the state level. The award honors principals who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of: Personal Excellence, Collaborative Leadership, Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Personalization.

Mr. Bargen has been in education since 1998 and has been the Principal at Centennial Jr/Sr High School since 2008. He also served as the Athletic Director and a Math teacher at Superior Jr/Sr High School from 2004-2008. Prior to this, he taught Math at Marysville Jr/Sr High School in Kansas for 6 years. Mr. Bargen has been a member of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA), the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals (NSASSP), and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) for 15 years.

Mr. Seth Ford, Superintendent of Centennial Public School stated, “The role of Principal is one of the most critical to the success of any school. If a school is excellent, then you can guarantee that you will find a great Principal working behind the scenes. This is most definitely the case at Centennial Public School. Colin humbly and tirelessly works behind the scenes to make Centennial better every single day.”

Mr. Evan Klanecky, a Secondary teacher and football coach states, “On a daily basis Colin will nurture, encourage, and challenge staff to complete the very best day possible for students. Mr. Bargen has created a culture at this school that is very consistent and from top down has a growth mindset that allows all parties involved to have success and not be afraid to work at something new.”

Halle Kinnett, a former student at Centennial High School notes, “One thing that really makes Mr. Bargen stand out from all the rest is his willingness to go above and beyond for his students. Almost every morning he stands outside waiting to greet each student as they walk through the doors, no matter the weather you can always count on him to be there with a smile on his face. As students we can also always count on him to support us in all of the activities that we are involved in.”

Mr. Bargen received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Mathematics from the University of NebraskaLincoln in 1998. In 2004, he earned his Masters of Science Degree in Educational Administration and Leadership from Kansas State University. Mr. Bargen has been a presenter at the NCSA State Principals Conference, the State Education Conference, and a roundtable discussion panelist for New Principals at Administrators Days. Mr. Bargen and his wife Jennifer, who has been teaching math at Centennial for 15 years, have three children. Joel is a junior computer engineering major at UNL, Jake is a freshman Exercise Science major at Hastings College, and Catelynn is a sophomore at Centennial.

Congratulations to Colin Bargen for his outstanding performance as a Secondary School Principal at Centennial Public School. NSASSP appreciates the contributions to the profession and is proud to name Colin Bargen of Centennial Public School the 2023 High School Principal of the Year! ■