Russ Gerke, principal at West De Pere High School, is named the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators "Principal of the Year" for 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
DE PERE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — West De Pere schools are routinely recognized as some of the best in Wisconsin. And now the high school can claim it has the best principal in the state.
West De Pere High School Principal Russ Gerke had no idea what he was walking into Friday morning. The entire high school student body, staff, colleagues, community members and his family filled the gym as the pep band played the school song.
“It is my honor to announce that Dr. Gerke is the 2026 Wisconsin High School Principal of the Year,” said Stuart Russ, superintendent of the Oconto Falls School District and also president of the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA).
The award from the AWSA, with support of the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation, recognizes school leaders who help to drive student learning, foster collaboration and create safe and positive environments.
“He does a lot for his students. He’s out in the hallways. They know him. He cares about every single one of them. And it shows,” said Dr. Jason Lau, West De Pere School District’s superintendent.
In his 20-plus years as principal at West De Pere High School Russ Gerke has done all of those things and more. Gerke led the development of alternative education programs, he co-taught courses that support inclusive instruction and he built partnerships to help students explore careers and earn college credit.
He said, “Throughout the years our goal has been to try to find something for students that maybe struggle with school, students that love school, or students that are unsure of what they’re going to do and what their path is going to be like in life.”
A West De Pere graduate himself, Gerke has a special kind of pride not only in the school, but the community. He knows what it means to be a Phantom, having walked the walk and talked the talk.
“You never know where that role is going to take you,” He said. Adding, “And so the principal here, a long, long time ago that I had always said to me, Russ never judge anybody by their high school career. And that stuck with me for almost 29 years that when you see all those kids up there, that moment they made a bad decision earlier or that something happened at a lunch room, that does not define them for the rest of their career. I think that epitomizes me.”
Because as they say in West De Pere, that’s what being a Phantom is all about.
Gerke will receive his award in February at the middle school and high school principals convention in Green Bay. And he will represent Wisconsin when all the national principals meet in Washington, DC in April of 2027.
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