Tennis coach, history teacher, Coralville City Council member, chief negotiator — West High principal Mitch Gross has worn nearly every hat in public education. He remembers the exact day he added one more: Aug. 10, 2020, the morning of the Iowa derecho, in the middle of a pandemic and one of the most volatile political years in recent history. Since stepping in as West High’s principal under those conditions, he hasn’t slowed down. On Nov. 14, after his interview as a finalist, Gross learned he’d been named Iowa Principal of the Year by School Administrators of Iowa.
The recognition comes during what Gross describes as the first truly “normal” stretch of his tenure, following years marked by crisis response, rebuilding and shifting expectations. For him, the award represents both the progress the school has made and the collaborative work that defines West’s leadership.
“I remember the date that I got the job — it was the day of the derecho, in the middle of a pandemic, in the middle of political strife in our country, in the midst of the murder of George Floyd and the racial unrest,” Gross said. “There [was] just a lot going on.”
Despite the whirlwind start, Gross said the award holds particular significance because it comes from fellow administrators who understand the demands of the role.
“A special thing about this award is that it comes from my peers — my colleagues who really know the job best and kind of know what makes a good principal and maybe what doesn’t,” Gross said. “It’s nice to be recognized for doing good work, and I’m able to do good work because of the outstanding faculty, staff [and] great students we have.”
While the award came from administrators, Gross’s impact is just as clear to students, including Student Government President Waleed Ibrahim ’26, who regularly collaborates with Gross and sees the day-to-day impact of his leadership.
“He doesn’t just seem like a principal. Sometimes he’s a friend,” Ibrahim said. “I’ll see him in the halls, I’ll dap him up, say what’s up. It’s the personal part [that] makes him someone people like to be around.”
For Ibrahim, that personal approach extends beyond everyday interactions and into behind-the-scenes decisions students don’t always see.
“He does a lot of things behind closed doors that students wouldn’t know about, but he still makes sure everyone has an equal chance to be listened [to],” Ibrahim said. “He’s like a mentor.”
