Meet the Principal

Zachary Harl

Welcome to South Side High School, home of the Archers! I am an archer through and through, having graduated from South Side in 1997, being the parent of a recent South Side grad and father of two current South Side students. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as only the 8th principal in the 100+ year history of South Side. I get to come to work every day at a place rich in tradition with a staff dedicated to serving the students within our community.

My journey as an educator began at Memorial Park Middle School as a Math and Social Studies teacher. My ten years at Memorial were filled with great memories as both a teacher and coach. I learned so much about how to build lasting relationships with students and how to make learning fun and meaningful.

After leaving Memorial Park for life as a building-level administrator, I made stops at Northwood and Portage Middle Schools where I served as the Assistant Principal and Athletic Director. I spent one year in that same role at Blackhawk Middle School before taking over as the Principal. I served in that role for four years. All of those experiences were great learning opportunities that helped prepare me to step into this role as Principal of South Side in 2022.

When I’m not at school, I enjoy spending time with my family which includes my wife, Janna, sons Evan, Casen, and Jordan as well as our three dogs, Pepper, Murphy and Becket. I am a huge sports fan who loves hanging out with family and friends. You can often find me on the grill most weekends.

I am dedicated to making South Side the school of choice for those in our community. We pride ourselves on our diversity and making our students feel welcomed and at home while they are here and even after they graduate. We often say, “Once an Archer, always an Archer.” Our mission is to make sure all of our students have a plan for life after graduation, whether that is in a viable career path, college or enlistment in the military.