It’s a great day…
to be a Badger!
Everyone has heard assistant principal Paul Weinheimer yell this chant, but next year’s new principal is expected to shout it at least as often, if not louder and prouder.
That’s because Weinheimer will become principal for the 2024-2025 school year.
“All the students and the teachers work so hard,” Weinheimer said. “That’s what people need to understand. [Teachers] are the people that are in the trenches, those are the people that work with kids every day.”
Weinheimer went to Texas State to be a financial planner but changed his mind while coaching part time at St. Gerard High School in San Antonio.
“I would drive back and forth [from San Antonio] every weekend to help with the games and do stats, whatever I could do,” Weinheimer said. “One day my high school football coach George Pasterchick said ‘Pauly’ that’s what he called me, ‘you need to coach,’ and I said, ‘No they don’t make any money. Why would I do that?’”
Weinheimer worked other jobs, but could not stop thinking about what his coach had said to him and the feeling he wanted to help people.
“Finally gave in and said yes,” Weinheimer said. “The reason I did is because I want to help kids. I had a passion for changing the world through our young people and you don’t stay in it if you don’t have that passion to help people.”
Weinheimer taught algebra, geometry and financial math.
“I really enjoyed [teaching financial math] because teaching kids how to budget and finance their stuff, a lot of people don’t really understand how to do that, and so that was a lot of fun,” Weinheimer said. “A lot of algebra one. Those were the main ones.”
Weinheimer became assistant principal in 2019.
“An assistant principal’s job is very challenging because people can say ‘oh you get this and that,’ but as far as students and things, you have to talk to people when they’re having a bad time,” Weinheimer said. “We don’t have bad kids. We don’t have things like that. That kid may have made a bad choice, and they’re upset and that’s when you talk to them.”
Weinheimer said he learned a lot from the current principal Joey McQueen.
“That consistency, he talks to everybody the same way,” Weinheimer said. “He respects everybody he talks to, whether it’s a new incoming freshman or if it’s a teacher who has been here for twenty years.”
Weinheimer has been known to communicate with Badgerman, a blue masked man who has shown up at pep rallies to show school spirit. Badgerman hasn’t been at a pep rally in a couple years, but since Weinheimer will be principal, he might invite him.
“Last week at lunch a couple of students were asking me [about Badgerman],” Weinheimer said. “I have to reach out and see about his return.”
As testing coordinator, Weinheimer’s wife Lori Weinheimer has had an office next to her husband the past few years.
“I think he has excellent leadership skills and he tries really hard to listen to people and make the best decision that’s best for everybody involved,” she said. “I worked as the testing coordinator and then he became assistant principal, so we’ve always worked as a team in close proximity to each other.”
Sophomore Kayden Biggars said Weinheimer brings a positive vibe to the school.
“My favorite [thing] would probably be when he just goes, ‘It’s a great day to be a Badger,” Biggars said. “I don’t know why it makes me so happy hearing his confidence and Badger spirit.”
Weinheimer said he is at peace knowing this is where he is supposed to be in his career.
“I’m going to give it my absolute best every day to be the best principal I can be for our teachers and our students and for the rest of our staff and our community,” Weinheimer said. “People ask me all the time ‘What is it going to look like when you’re principal?’ It’s about us. No matter what, it’s about all of us.’”
