Steele Passes On Phnom Penh To Lead Southside

New Southside School principal Ken Steele told the Northern Plains Independent that he and his family had been preparing for a move overseas when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

He said a planned move to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, didn’t seem advisable with health threats from the virus. Instead, he brought wife Vilma and 16-year-old son Aaron to Wolf Point.

“It’s not like anyplace else,” said Steele.

He said he is at peace with the change of plans.

Steele was educated at Stonybrook University in New York, N.Y., where he received his bachelors degree. He considered a career as a politician, but decided instead to pursue a masters degree in special education from Dowling College on Long Island. He also received a masters degree in educational leadership and administration from Rutgers University in New Jersey.

Steele is a pilot and has served as an EMT. He has coached basketball and tennis, but said he’ll be focusing on administration in Wolf Point.