Tricia Freeman stepped into a new role as principal for St. Paul’s Lutheran School on July 2. After joining the school staff as a first-grade teacher in 2018 and earning her degree in Educational Leadership with principal licensure this May, Freeman is excited to begin the ‘25-26 school year as school principal.
“I feel grateful that I’m stepping into a school that’s been in the Waverly community for over 150 years,” Freeman said. “It is wonderful to step into leadership in such a supportive environment, one that’s so well established and has such a solid foundation.”
The new principal is married to Warren Freeman who works at Healogics, “the nation’s leading provider of advanced wound care and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.” They are parents of three with Jayna (23) in her final year of pharmacy school at the University of Iowa, Averie (20) heading into her junior year at Truman State University in Missouri, studying to be a nurse, and Gavin (16) going into his sophomore year at Waverly-Shell Rock High School.
Growing up in her mother’s classroom in Denver, Freeman has always had a heart for education. She comes from a long line of teachers including her grandma, mother, several uncles and some of her cousins being in the field as teachers and former principals.
Freeman obtained her elementary education degree with a reading minor at the University of Northern Iowa in 1997 and taught in Colleyville, Texas, and Madison, Wisconsin, before settling back down in Cedar Falls in 2003 to raise her children.
Looking for ways to be an involved mom while also fulfilling her passion for education, Freeman started an educational-based business called {!--StartFragment--}{span data-olk-copy-source=”MessageBody”}”Joyful Noise Kindermusik,”{/span} an early childhood music and movement program, which she ran for 15 years and grew to an average of 200 students per semester. Freeman was named one of Business Quarterly’s Top 20 under 40 business leaders in 2006.
In fall 2017, Freeman attended a charity event in Waverly and was connected with Kris Meyer, the principal at St. Paul’s at the time, who offered Freeman a tour around St. Paul’s.
“I came to visit St. Paul’s, and was led on a tour by three sixth graders that showed me around the school,” Freeman said. “They were so poised and mature, telling me all about their school, its history, and all of the great things that their school offered, and I was so impressed by the students showing such confident leadership.”
After an “invigorating conversation” about education, Meyer called Freeman later in the year, May 2018, expressing her interest in Freeman applying for an opening as a first-grade teacher.
“My initial thought was that it didn’t make any sense for me to apply,” Freeman admitted. “I had a great business in Cedar Falls that was thriving, and lots of family in Cedar Falls. I felt very happy and fulfilled where I was, yet this unexplainable wave came over me and I felt called to apply.”
Talking about what drew her toward St. Paul’s, Freeman explained, “It was the family culture and the fact that they keep the same high expectations as any other public school that drew me in.”
She explains further, “We are directly accredited by the Department of Education, just like public school, but have the ability to freely express our Christian faith. That aspect was really important to me because I wanted high standards, I wanted highly qualified teachers and I wanted the same assessments and accountability to prepare students for the future, all within a loving, Christian environment.”
“We accept all students, including those that have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or special needs, and we have strong supports in place for those students. We also offer extension opportunities to students who need more challenge. It was what I was accustomed to in the public school’s system, but with a strong Christian value system embedded in everything we do. We are proud to represent 21 local communities of faith, focusing on what unites us, not what divides us.”
Freeman applied and was accepted into being a first-grade teacher the next school year.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Freeman felt her call to leadership and commitment to St. Paul’s deepen. She had conversations with her family and staff members and decided to pursue her new educational ambitions.
Freeman went back to school and obtained her administrative degree and began interning with Tamela Johnson in 2022.
Tamela Johnson spent 33 years in public education, from being an associate, to a teacher and to working as the Director of School Improvement at Humboldt Community School District, before retiring from public education July 16, 2020. She applied to St. Paul’s taking a “leap of faith” as Johnson was brought into her new position as principal on Feb. 29, 2020.
Her last day at St. Paul’s was June 4, and she feels confident about Freeman stepping into this role. “Tricia is outstanding,” Johnson exclaimed. “She is a leader willing to dive in and share her insights.”
Johnson and Freeman accomplished a lot of significant projects together and experienced lots of change. Together, they worked on St. Paul’s “Pay It Forward” campaign, raising $2.1 million, with large support from the St. Paul’s congregation and alumni donors. The school utilized the money to modernize classrooms: new flooring, new air conditioning systems, vertical writing spaces, interactive touchscreen displays, new furniture and a new, collaborative middle school space with a modern feel.
Along with this, attendance has grown in recent years. Historically, St. Paul’s had one section per grade and was tuition and scholarship based. With the inclusion of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and educational savings accounts, it has opened the doors for anyone to attend St. Paul’s without the burden of tuition. Now, there are two sections of kindergarten, two sections of first grade, two sections of second grade, and one section from third grade up through sixth grade. With six preschool offerings starting at 3 years old, a student can be enrolled at St. Paul’s for up to ten consecutive years.
This past year, St. Paul’s implemented a program called “Foundational Kindergarten,” typically serving as a two-year kindergarten experience, focusing on foundation readiness skills for children starting school. “It allows for parents who have a five-year-old who might not be ready for kindergarten to gain foundational skills and move on to first grade when they are ready,” Freeman explained.
Culminating the St. Paul’s experience is the 6th Grade Capstone project, focused on learning about U.S. history, leaving a legacy, and visiting Washington, D.C. to experience their learning first hand. “The leadership and confidence our students gain as a part of the Capstone experience, student-led worship from Kindergarten on up, exposure to Spanish and ASL, and the multiple service opportunities they gain at St. Paul’s are all ways our students stand out.”
With many new additions and remodeling to the school, the new principal is excited for school to be in place starting on Aug. 25 and pre-school starting on Aug. 28. Even if it’s not in a classroom herself, the new principal doesn’t feel like she’s leaving the teaching field, she’s “expanding” it.
“In this role, I am here for all of the kids in the school rather than just the ones in my classroom,” Freeman explained. “It brings me a lot of joy knowing that I’m not leaving teaching, but I’m expanding it. We have the best staff and great families. Now I just have a greater opportunity to serve in a school I love.”