By By SPIROS GALLOS / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Jim Knoll is coming back home.
Even though the life-long Niles resident never left Niles, he's returning to the school system he began working in eight years ago.
Knoll was recently announced as the new assistant principal of Ring Lardner Middle School recently by Niles Community Schools Superintendent Doug Law.
Knoll taught science at Niles High School up until June 2002 when he left the Niles school district to take the assistant principal position at Edwardsburg High School.
While some would see going from a high school assistant principal position to a middle school one as a downward movement, Knoll just saw it as an opportunity to be closer to his family.
His wife, Kim, teaches at the high school and his three sons, Pierce, Nick, and Jack, all attend schools in the Niles district and Knoll said he wanted to be on the same schedule as his family.
The move also reunites Knoll with Ring Lardner Principal Doug Langmeyer. The two taught science across the hall from each other at Niles High School.
Langmeyer said he expects Knoll to be a valuable member of the administration at the school.
While Knoll is still at Edwardsburg High School as they look to fill his position, in the interim, Dick Proud, a former principal in the Buchanan school district, will be assistant principal at Ring Lardner.
Wednesday, when Knoll was at Ring Lardner to meet the staff, he said he would be starting work at the school "sooner than later."
Knoll is very excited to return to the school system he started teaching in in 1995.