CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Terry Eisenbarth, the new principal of St. Francis Catholic School, is positive about the coming year despite the challenges.

St. Francis Catholic School announced its new hire for principal on July 1, with Terry Eisenbarth taking the place of Matthew Herrick.

Eisenbarth said he heard about the opening through a deacon friend.

“I believe it was God calling,” he said.

While Eisenbarth feels certain he is in the right place, it was a difficult decision to make.

He said he prayed on it for a while and asked for God’s guidance. Even though there was plenty of uncertainty, Eisenbarth has no regrets.

“I’ve loved every second since I’ve been here,” he said.

Eisenbarth added he has “encountered so many godly people” in Marshalltown who care about offering children quality education.

He served as principal at Pocahontas Catholic School from 2013 to 2020. Eisenbarth worked as a third grade teacher and as a principal in three schools.

He holds a degree in elementary education and a minor in early childhood from Central College and a Master of Arts in educational administration from Iowa State University. Eisenbarth is joined by his wife and children.

He said his administrative experience will be a great asset to him in this position, but his greatest strength is his faith.

“If I let the Lord work through me, I can’t go wrong,” Eisenbarth said.

One of his goals is to prepare young people to be productive members of society once they leave the school.

On top of the regular challenges of stepping into the role of principal is the risk of the pandemic. Eisenbarth said he has been working to get students back to school safely and have “human-to-human interaction” between students and staff.

The school has put in place a detailed plan to keep everyone safe, including taking the temperature of students when they arrive at school, requiring masks when walking around and a hybrid learning model for students who may have health concerns.

Eisenbarth is excited for his new role despite the challenges.

“My approach to life is just to be grateful for what we have,” he said.

Part of the reason Eisenbarth is passionate about education is the nurturing teachers he had growing up. He was the first member of his family to go to college, which he attributes to the support he received.

Eisenbarth’s philosophy is “to partner with parents and the parish to help ourselves and others get to heaven, develop one another’s ‘God given’ gifts and give back to the church and community.”

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Contact Anna Shearer at 641-753-6611 or ashearer@timesrepublican.com.