On February 23, 2026, the Waterloo Schools held their bi-monthly board meeting. While it started following the meeting agenda, many were left surprised when it took a quick turn.

During the first proposal for budget certifications, board members were asked whether there were any items that they wanted to see removed or not. Vice President, Lyle Schmitt, proposed to divide the four items so that the proposal for the approval of inaugural principal, Zach O’Brien, was separate. The proposal for the new principal approval was item two.

When it went to a vote, all board members approved items one, three and four. But, item two did end up being divided at Schmitt’s request. 

Votes were scattered across the board, resulting in a vote of 5-2 in favor to postpone the approval of O’Brien as principal. Janelle Ewing and Jesse Knight voted in favor of approval, while remaining members Schmitt, Stacie Mills, Krystal Madlock and Jonathan Cox voted against initial approval for O’Brien to take the position of Inaugural Head Principal.

O’Brien is no stranger to the Waterloo Community Schools district. He has been involved in the district for 20 years, where he previously served as West High’s Assistant Principal and is the current Head Principal of Bunger Middle School.

When it comes to the school board making a big decision, it is uncommon to not approve the superintendent’s personal recommendations. With this in mind, many viewers were left surprised.

At the following school board meeting held on March 9., the proposal to approve O’Brien as Head Principal of Waterloo United High School returned to the drawing board and was subsequently approved. The board voted 5-1-1, with Schmitt once again dissenting and Mills abstaining. Towards the end of the meeting, Mills asked the board to reconsider the vote. To reconsider, one of the members who agreed to the appointment had to speak up, but nobody did.

Mills was very vocal about her stance throughout the entire decision process. “[When] Lyle Schmitt asked, he made a motion to postpone it. All that meant was that he was asking if other board members also felt that they would like to wait for the vote because there was just so much already going on in the meeting,” Mills stated.

“When the five of us voted to postpone it, it had nothing to do with the candidate. It had nothing to do with Mr. O’Brien and him being in the position. It was we need time. It’s a huge deal,” she added. “It takes me a while to digest things. I don’t like to vote spur of the moment, I really like to take my time to know what I am voting on. This is taxpayers money, this is jobs for 1,700 people, and this is the education for 10,000 students.”

Mills chose not to hide her emotions at all during the second meeting, stating, “As we went through the rest of the meeting, my mind was working, my heart was working and as we got towards the end, I did know that we have the option to call for a motion to reconsider, which is unusual.”

To be able to reconsider, the five board members who voted yes would have to call for a reconsideration, however, no one did.

“My intention at that time had been to go ahead and affirm the hire,” Mills reiterated.

Following the end of the meeting while board members gave their closing notes, Schmitt spoke up about O’Brien’s approval. “Now is the time to unite in supporting Zach and his supporting team. So, Zach, you have my 100% support, and I call on others to support Zach and the Waterloo United High School team as well.”

Likewise, other board members shared their support for O’Brien. President Williams stated, “As my fellow board members have stated, congratulations to Zach O’Brien. It’s a tall task because [it] never has a blueprint, but we’re here.”

O’Brien shared his excitement for being selected to lead Waterloo United. “I am deeply honored to serve as the inaugural principal of Waterloo United High School,” he said. “Waterloo Schools has shaped my career and my purpose as an educator. This opportunity represents more than opening a new building, it’s about bringing our students, staff and community together to create a unified high school experience.”

With O’Brien’s approval, he will officially step into the position as Waterloo United’s head principal on July 1, 2026.