PITTSFIELD – Arnold Shorey, who has been principal of Warsaw Middle School for the past eight years, has accepted the principalship at nearby Nokomis Regional High School.

“It was time to make a move,” Shorey said Monday. “The timing was perfect, and Nokomis is where I started my career.”

Shorey, 38, taught Western civilization and math at Nokomis from 1989 to 1994.

Shorey said he interned under SAD 48’s superintendent in 2003, a position that gave him unique insight into the workings of the district and the high school.

“I really got to see the other side of things,” Shorey said. “Nokomis has a lot to offer.”

Shorey’s departure from SAD 53 this summer will leave “some pretty big shoes to fill,” Superintendent Michael Gallagher said Monday.

Neighboring SAD 48 Superintendent William Braun said he is excited about Shorey’s arrival.

“He will bring along his middle school philosophy of working with students rather than teaching subjects,” Braun said. “He will also move Nokomis forward to meet academic standards. Arnold has a strong background in school management. This is a hands-on position.”

Shorey brought the school from a junior high to a full-fledged middle school and has gained state and national recognition for Warsaw Middle School. He will begin his new position on July 1, with a salary of $78,000 annually plus benefits.

Gallagher said two teams of interviewers already have been set up and advertisements for the newly opened position at Warsaw have been placed in newspapers and online. Interviews are expected to take place in mid-July.

“This is a real unique opportunity for someone,” Gallagher said. “Whoever is selected will have to have some real sense of a middle school philosophy.”

He said the successful candidate will have to recognize that there will be a transition period, since Shorey was a well-loved and respected administrator, both by staff and students.

Meanwhile, renovation and construction plans at Warsaw Middle School are moving ahead quickly, Gallagher said.

Construction is expected both this summer and through summer 2006 and has prompted adoption of a school calendar that will have students getting out of school earlier next year and coming back later in the fall. This will extend the construction window.

Gallagher said all asbestos tiles will be removed this year and replaced, a new roof membrane and roof will be built and design work for the classroom air exchangers will be completed.

The exchangers, which are now attached to the north side window-wall that will be replaced next year, may be installed in the ceiling of the classrooms.

“We are looking into that right now,” Gallagher said. “There is a possibility that they could be installed this year and not hinder the wall project next summer.”