For new Park High School Principal Brian Boothe, leading the Cottage Grove school represents more than a professional milestone. It is an opportunity to serve a community with deep family connections while helping students discover their own paths toward success.

Boothe, 43, became principal of Park High School following the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year, replacing Todd Herber and bringing years of experience as a teacher and administrator in both Minnesota and Nevada. His connection to Park, however, extends well beyond his professional career.

His father and uncles both graduated from Park High School, and Boothe is himself a parent in the school community. Having coached youth basketball and softball over the years, he already knows many of the students and families who make up the school.

"In the summer of 2025, I moved to Park High School as an assistant principal, which felt like coming home," Boothe said. "My father and his brothers graduated from Park, and I am a parent here. Joining this staff felt so comfortable because they treat each other like family."

When the opportunity arose to become principal, Boothe welcomed the chance.

"To say it is a dream come true is an understatement," he said.

A native of South Minneapolis, Boothe graduated from Roosevelt High School in 2000. His interest in education developed through the influence of teachers and mentors who helped shape his understanding of the opportunities available beyond high school.

One teacher in particular made a lasting impression.

"My 10th grade English teacher was the first person to get me thinking about life after high school and to consider college," Boothe said. "He changed my perspective and helped me understand the true value of education."

While attending college, Boothe was asked by his former youth pastor to teach confirmation classes at his Minneapolis church. The experience of working with young people proved transformative.

"Working with young people and helping them find their path forward was life-changing," he said.

Boothe subsequently changed his major to education and began his teaching career in rural Minnesota, working in St. James and Windom before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he taught geography.

He spent seven years as a social studies teacher and later moved into educational administration, serving in district-level positions in Nevada and Minnesota.

Boothe and his wife returned to Minnesota in 2013, where he began working in the South Washington County School District office. His responsibilities included teacher professional development and assessments, allowing him to mentor educators throughout the district.

Although he found the work rewarding, Boothe eventually missed the direct interaction with students that had originally drawn him into education.

In 2019, he became an assistant principal at East Ridge High School, a position he held for six years before transferring to Park High School in 2025.

Now serving as principal, Boothe approaches the challenges of school leadership with an emphasis on relationships, problem-solving and student success.

"An average day as principal is hard to describe if you don't work in education," he said. "The best description I have come up with is that most days, you just solve problems."

Those problems frequently involve difficult decisions without obvious solutions, he explained.

"The problems that come to an assistant principal or principal are often decisions that are as close to 50/50 as possible," Boothe said. "When making those decisions, I try my best to keep students at the center."

Despite the responsibilities of his position, Boothe emphasizes the satisfaction he receives from working with students and staff.

At the beginning of every school year, he writes a reminder on the first page of his planner.

"Look at what you get to do."

The words serve as a reminder of the privilege he associates with working in education, particularly during challenging moments.

Boothe makes an effort to remain visible throughout the school, greeting students and teachers in hallways and maintaining personal connections with the school community.

His years coaching youth sports have made those interactions especially meaningful.

"I've coached so many kids in basketball and softball over the years that walking around the school feels like an extension of the gym or field," he said. "Seeing the kids I've coached grow up and achieve so much is unreal!"

Looking ahead, Boothe envisions Park High School continuing to develop as a destination for families seeking educational opportunities in the south metro area.

He pointed to the school's renovated facilities, including new classroom spaces, cafeteria and career and technical education areas, as important assets for its future.

"Park High School has so much to offer its students and families," Boothe said. "We have a world-class staff and now a facility to match."

His vision extends beyond improvements to the building itself.

"As I think about Park over the next ten years, I see us flourishing as a destination school," he said. "Students and families have so many choices in education today, and we want people to choose Park."

Boothe believes the school's emphasis on community, welcoming students and preparing young people for life after graduation distinguishes it from other educational options.

One of his immediate priorities is encouraging greater student participation in extracurricular activities.

Park High School offers 34 Minnesota State High School League athletic teams and more than 50 student-run clubs and activities, providing students with numerous opportunities to become involved.

Boothe pointed to research associating extracurricular participation with stronger academic performance, improved attendance and higher graduation rates.

"We are encouraging our students to get involved in something," he said.

That emphasis has become a particular focus for the incoming freshman class.

When the Class of 2030 began the school year in September, school leaders challenged its members to achieve 100 percent participation in at least one extracurricular activity.

"Wouldn't it be remarkable to see all 512 ninth graders join something at Park?" Boothe asked.

For Boothe, the challenge reflects a broader philosophy of education, one centered on helping young people develop relationships, discover their interests and prepare for opportunities beyond the classroom.

Outside school, Boothe and his wife, an interior designer who operates her own business in Cottage Grove, are raising three children, a high school senior, a freshman and a fifth grader. Boothe also holds a doctorate earned through Concordia University, St. Paul, in 2020.

His personal and professional connections to the community reinforce his commitment to Park High School's future.

"This is a unique place with a rich history and a bright future," he said.