Area Back to School 2016: Getting to know the new Havre High principal

After nearly three decades out of Montana, Mike Haugen has returned to the Hi-Line, this time as Havre High School principal.

Haugen and wife, Denise, have lived in Spokane, Washington, for the last 28 years. Following his hiring as the new Havre High principal, the couple bought a home in Havre and are easing back into small-town life.

"We're still small-town people - that never left us," he said, adding that Denise Haugen, a Havre High Class of 1974 graduate, wanted to come back to Montana.

The Haugens have deep ties to the Hi-Line.

Mike Haugen was born in Havre and grew up mostly in Chinook. He graduated from Malta High School. He coached under former teachers and coaches Jim Magera and Walt Currie at Havre High.

But for the last 28 years, Haugen has been at Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane, where he did everything from teach "just about every history class you can think of" and math to chairing the history department to serving as dean of students and serving on the board of directors.

Haugen said part of the reason he applied for and took the Havre High principal job was because he'd never been principal during his long career as an educator.

Another reason was a little more sentimental.

"This was just something I feel I was called to do," he said. "I put a lot of thought into this before I even put in an application."

Haugen said he is excited about leading a high school that has so much community support and such a strong tradition of excellence. His goal is to continue building on what's already in place.

"I'm looking to improve what Havre High already has," he said. "We wanna make sure we continue to work to be a school of excellence, that we are one of the top schools in the state, and we are seen as one of the top schools as far as co-curriculum, extra-curriculum activities, which we are already known for."

Attendance will be a big point of emphasis the coming school year.

"First and foremost, we want to improve our attendance," he said. "We need to have our students here. Once they're there, everything improves - graduation rate improves, test scores improve, and so on."

He said he didn't want to get into specifics, but "parent-guardian education" is major part of the strategy to improve attendance.

Haugen said he is already impressed with what he's seen of the teachers, and is looking to build on that as well.

"The faculty, I believe, need to feel supported and that they can go into the classrooms and do a great job," he said.

Haugen called himself a relationship guy, and that's an area in which he intends to lead by example. He wants to continue a "good positive atmosphere at Havre High School - building trust and relationships, not only between teachers and students, but also continuing to build the trust between the parents and the school. As far as the administration goes, respect for each other that way as well."

Haugen said he is big into communication.

"That's a heart of the big piece also," he said. "You have to make sure that you are communicating to your faculty members, to your teachers, to your parents, to the greater community."

Haugen said the district wants to publicize more about what the school is doing.

"OK, these are great things that are happening. These are great things that our kids are doing; and these are great things that our teachers are doing. In those classrooms and on those teams and in the plays and the band, and the choir, speech and debates - all the different clubs we have - that's where the magic happens," he said.

As for teachers, Haugen said, the slots have been filled, including a new choir director to go with the new band director. Haugen said he was glad to talk about his new vice principal as well, Jeremiah Nitz, whom he called "a gem."

Haugen said he liked how clean the school looked and the people who were making it so.

"Respect what the custodians are doing," he said. "Those guys are working. I've been in here for a month now, and those guys are working their tails off, keeping the school beautiful. The school was built in the mid-'60s - this school is in incredible shape."

Haugen told a story about what it was like trying to explain to someone not from Havre what he looks forward to as a Havreite.

"A friend of mine from Spokane, he's a business guy. He's from Cincinnati,  he's been to L.A. I'm trying to explain to him why I'm coming to Havre," Haugen said. "It's those signs, 'Havre ... it's the people.' I said, 'It's the people, it's the community.'"