The journey at Rochelle Middle School began long before Nicholas Harvey II’s five years as principal.
After being in the district since childhood — from walking to the campus as an elementary school student to eventually attending Rochelle — he will advance to an older group of students when he takes over for Jason Miller, Early College High School’s principal.
Miller is stepping down for a dean’s office positionat Lenoir Community College, which houses the Early College campus. His last day at the Early College is March 29, as he begins the new job April 1.
Miller was unavailable to comment Tuesday.
The Rochelle position has been advertised and the school district has not determined a timeline to fill it. If it has not been occupied by Miller’s exit, LCS Superintendent Steve Mazingo said an interim principal will be named at Rochelle.
The Early College, now in its sixth year, passed 38 of 40 students in its first graduating class. Twenty-three of those students earned associate’s degrees from LCC.
“From what I’ve heard, from the president and the staff out (at the college), Mr. Miller has done a wonderful job,” Harvey said. “I was very impressed with what he has in place. The Early College is not broken, so I’m not going in there to fix anything. … He has that place definitely headed in the right direction, so I’ll have big shoes to fill.”
While Harvey said he is committed to continuing Miller’s efforts, the move is bittersweet. He is a principal who spends most of the day out with the students, which is probably how he knows each of their names.
“We shake every hand that walks in the building every day,” Harvey said about his school staff. “We speak to every child that walks through the door. ... I think that’s changed the culture.
“To be a good principal, you can’t be behind your desk. … You have to be where the children are, and that’s what helps me be successful here.”
When Harvey arrived in his new post in 2008, he was Rochelle’s seventh principal in 10 years. In his five years at the school, he said Rochelle has made expected performance growth four years, including high growth in the 2009-10 school year.
When Harvey became principal, Rochelle was designated as a low-performing school by the state’s Department of Public Instruction. The next year, it advanced to a priority school. This year, the students have reached expected performance growth but are still in the priority school category.
Rochelle was recently recognized as a model school for its implementation of the Positive Behavior and Intervention Supportinitiative.
“I’m proud of what we’ve done at Rochelle,” Harvey said. “But change is good. I’m excited about the opportunity to go to the high school. It excites me to work with other students (and) see students really preparing to go to college.”
He is looking forward to helping students who are in the process of selecting colleges and careers and who are closer to the finish line. Moving up to a high school level was an offer he said he couldn’t refuse. He worked briefly in high school administration at his alma mater, Kinston High School.
He graduated from N.C. A&T and started his teaching career in Goldsboro. He said when he realized the effect education had on children, he wanted to move back to his hometown and do the same thing.
With his mom being an educator and his father a defense attorney, he thinks his career choice was innate.
“I guess it’s just in me to help people; that’s truly why I’m here is to help in anyway that I can,” Harvey said. “I want this community to know (and) I want my kids to know there is nothing I won’t do for them.”
He said hasn’t heard word of who his successor will be but has committed to aiding him or her through the transition process.
“I want to stand shoulder to shoulder,” Harvey said. “Whoever comes in, I want them to really love children. I want them to really love my kids.”
He said it will be tough when his students find out he is moving to another school. He hasn’t thought of a way to tell them but will let them slowly come to him. Harvey brought in his staff team one at a time to share the news, and he already has “Thank You” cards and flowers in his office.
When the move was approved at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, a round of applause indicated the board’s support.
“We’re excited about (it),” Mazingo said. “I think he’d make a great principal at the Early College.”
Harvey will transition from looking after more than 500 middle school students to less than 250 high schoolers when he settles into the new school. He’s hoping to expose some Rochelle Vikings to the Early College when they apply.
“I’ve lived and breathed Rochelle for a very long time — that’s why it’s bittersweet,” he said about the transfer. “I have been here five years, and I have enjoyed every second of it.”
Jessika Morgan can be reached at 252-559-1078 or at jessika.morgan@kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessikaMorgan.