Vondracek has been with high school since 2009 after stint at St. Mary’s
By Per Peterson
Members of the Tracy Area High School Class of 2022 will take their final official walk through the halls of the high school on May 29, continuing the school’s commencement ceremony tradition. And so will the only high school principal they’ve ever known.
The District No. 2904 School Board at its Monday meeting accepted the resignation of Kathy Vondracek, who has served in her current role since 2013.
“It is time to take care of my own health at this point,” Vondracek said. “My plans will center around helping other people in some capacity. I haven’t had time to think about the last ‘walk through the halls’ yet. In a sense, I will be graduating with the seniors — but the day belongs to them, so it needs to be focused on the students.”
Vondracek started her formal education by earning her bachelor’s in Music Education from Augustana College. From there, she earned her master’s in Educational Leadership at Mankato State University, where she also worked toward a Specialist degree, K-12 Principal; and her Superintendent Specialist degree from St. Mary’s University.
From 2007-2009, Vondracek was a principal and K-8 music teacher in Balaton, and from 2009-2010, she worked as an assistant principal and substitute teacher at Tracy Area Elementary School halftime. From 2010-2012, she was an AP at TAHS, and principal and music teacher at St. Mary’s Elementary School; she became a fulltime AP at TAHS in 2012, and in 2013 took over as Secondary Principal at TAHS.
After working in education for so many years, it’s no surprise what she will miss the most after leaving the school district.
“What I will miss most about working at TAHS are the students — they are the reason anyone with their heart in the right place is in education,” she said.
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