Years ago, Karma Coleman couldn’t see herself taking on an administrative position instead of teaching elementary and middle school pupils.

But that was before opportunities were presented –– including to become an elementary school principal at Nodaway-Holt Elementary and, the most recent one, to take the reigns as superintendent of Nodaway-Holt R-VII.

Following 11 years as an elementary school principal, Coleman said she has mixed emotions about her new role.

Working with elementary school pupils was her first love of her career and giving that up is difficult.

“If you like your job, it should be hard to leave it,” Coleman said. “In my mind, I wondered at first if I did the right thing.

“But at the same time I’ve been excited. I look forward to watching some of the younger students continue to grow from elementary students to graduates.”

As much as she loves the students, Coleman said she looks forward to taking on a larger leadership role with the district.

Now, more than ever as a principal, she said her work will have an affect on the district as a whole with the consequences affecting all k-12 education.

“It’s a completely different job than my previous principal position,” Coleman said. “I have to become more involved with budgets that affect more than just, say the elementary school.”

No sooner did Coleman take a seat in her new office did she have to jump into the 2008-09 budget, meaning she’s had to learn about transportation and food service budget and other programs throughout the district.

Along with that comes tackling issues facing hers and other districts statewide.

She said districts throughout Nodaway County have few resources to provide mental health services for students as well as other educational support.

And increasingly, Coleman said educators are facing students with more and more problems both at school and at home.

Meanwhile, she said she looks forward to working with staff members she’s known since she began working for the district in 2000.

Coleman said she feels that she has more of a leadership, not a management role.

However, she knows their will be good and bad days and tough decisions to make.

“I hope that, for as long as I’ve been here, people know what to expect from me,” Coleman said, “and that they know my decisions will be made on what I believe to be best for our kids.”

Coleman can be reached at (660) 939-2137.