Larrabee taking new job as K 12 principal in Tok

After several years with the Wrangell Public School District, Wrangell resident Drew Larrabee will be leaving town to take a new position as K-12 principal in Tok.

Larrabee and his family first moved to Wrangell eight years ago, he said. He has been the fabrication teacher for Wrangell High School for the past eight years. Larrabee said that he and his family are going to miss the Wrangell community and school district a lot, but this move is meant to help him advance his career goals.

"I had finished my master's last year, in administrative leadership, with the intention of being a principal," Larrabee said.

Larrabee said he considered applying for a principal position here in Wrangell. However, at the time, he said that the high school's then-principal David Macri was planning to stay on for quite some time. With that in mind he sent out applications to other school districts, and was offered a job in Tok. About a week after he accepted the position, Larrabee said, Macri resigned. Still, Larrabee said Tok seemed like a good place to raise his younger kids, and they would be back on the road system. Plus, his older daughters Skylar and Adriana just graduated from high school this year. Sometimes, he said, you just have to roll with it.

Larrabee said that he is leaving Wrangell High School's shop program in a good position. It was already a good program when he came on in 2012, he said, but he and the district have spent the past eight years revitalizing it and turning it into a state recognized program.

"We've revitalized equipment, we've revitalized the program," Larrabee said. "I'm leaving it with a well developed program that Winston Davies will be taking over."

The Larrabee family is heading to Tok on June 13. Larrabee said they are leaving this soon because the official start date for his job is July 1, and he wanted to give his family time to unpack and get used to their new surroundings beforehand. It is not easy to move, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic going on right now, but he said they are managing the situation as best as they can.

"Not a very pleasant time to be trying to move," Larrabee said. "It's a bit, but it's going to be manageable."

Larrabee also added that he and his family are sorry to leave behind all the friends they have made in Wrangell. He's appreciative to everyone for eight years of community and friendship, and that they will be missed. However, he said that he and his family are excited for this next adventure.

"Of course, we're all pretty torn up about leaving our friends," he said.