Namesake

Dean H. Krueger has been a fixture in Northside ISD his entire life, and will forever be remembered through the school bearing his name.

Born and raised in Leon Valley, he attended Leon Valley Elementary School, Ross and Neff middle schools, and Marshall High School. After college, he returned to his roots and was an employee of the District for 31 years before retiring in 2002.

Who better to eventually help run a school district than someone who knew it from the ground up first as a child and then as a school teacher. Krueger began his career as a teacher at Rayburn Middle School, then transitioned to Assistant Principal at Holmes High School, and then to Vice Principal and Principal of the Northside Opportunity Center (now Holmgreen Center), where he helped bring an academic focus and organizational structure to that campus. He then was asked to open Zachry Middle School, where he served as principal for 12 years.

These experiences helped mold him into the District leader he became. He was named the Executive Director of Secondary Administration, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Administration, and retired as Deputy Superintendent for Administration.

Among his many accomplishments over the years, he highlights the hiring of a staff when he opened Zachry Middle School. From those staff members hired at Zachry in 1985-88, 62 received promotions by December 1993, and they have held leadership positions throughout Northside and other South Texas schools and districts.

His many accolades over the years are too numerous to list but include Lifetime Membership awards from both state and national PTA, an Honorary Colonel recognition in the Jay High School Junior ROTC, the NISD nominee for the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals (TASSP) Outstanding Middle School Principal of Texas, and the Achievement in Youth Services Award.

Among his many duties as Deputy Superintendent, Krueger was responsible for the Administrative Internship Management (AIM) program, which mentors potential future leaders in the District; was the coordinator of the School Boundary Advisory Committee, working with Northside parents on changes in school attendance zones; and was the lead person on maintaining the District's Crisis Resource Manual and planned responses.

Whether as a teacher or administrator, he continually focused each decision on the question, "Is this in the best interest of kids?" It is caring, child-centered individuals, such as Krueger, that make Northside the quality District that it is today.