Andrea Johnson/MDN -- Les Anderson, who is retiring after 40 years in education, poses with his granddaughter Hannah Nelson, a sixth-grader at Jim Hill Middle School where her grandfather has been head principal for 19 years.

It’s not every middle-school principal who has been principal to his children and a grandchild, but head principal Les Anderson finished his last year at Jim Hill Middle School with his oldest grandchild in the building.


“She doesn’t seem to have a problem with it,” Anderson said.


In fact, sixth-grader Hannah Nelson seems to love it. She often visits Anderson in his office or does her homework there.


Anderson has been an educator for 40 years, with 38 of those years spent in the Minot Public School District. He has won numerous awards during his time there including the North Dakota Middle Level Principal of the Year, Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, Earl Reum Award and National Association of Student Councils Distinguished Service Award.


“I have been involved in education my entire life,” Anderson said.