CHOCOWINITY — Clint Johnson is no ordinary principal.

He’s caring, he goes above and beyond, and he’s technically retired.

After former Principal Dale Cole resigned from Southside High School to take another position right before school was set to begin last August, the school was left with a vacancy at the helm.

Johnson stepped up and offered to serve as interim principal until December, traveling many miles from his home in Morehead City every day to be there.

According to math teacher Tina Petty, Johnson is at Southside by 8 a.m. every day to greet the students, and he’s often one of the last people to leave every afternoon.

“Over the first semester, he grew to really love Southside and decided to finish the year with us. He has been the best thing that has happened to our school in a long time,” Petty wrote in an email. “It is very unusual to find a principal that the teachers and students love.”

As this school year comes to a close, so does Johnson’s time as interim principal. He has changed the outlook at Southside High, and students and staff are reluctant to see him go and want him to know the difference he made.

Some of their comments are below:

“Honestly you really are the coolest principal all of us have had. You have made good strides for this school, and all of us students will never forget the real MVP, which is Mr. Johnson,” ninth-grader Aaron Crisp said.

Media coordinator Emily Davis said, “Thank you for breathing new life into our school. Thank you for your time and investment into not only our students’ lives, but those of the staff as well. Your genuine concern for the well-being of all of us has meant so much, and we are grateful to have had this past year with you.”

David Romero, a 12^th-grader, shared, “You have handled this job with absolute patience and grace, and I humbly thank you for that. As a person you are probably one of the coolest people I have ever had the honor of meeting. You are truly going to go down as one of the greats. Thank you, Mr. Johnson, for your blissful principal-ship, grace out of retirement, for being a great man.”

Many students also shared how Johnson would often stop by classrooms to say hello or give a fist bump. They said he also made a point to support the Seahawks sports teams, as well.

“You come to all of our games and we notice. You have taken the time to get to know me and my plans. You take an interest in all of us,” 12^th-grader Gracie Warren said.

Beaufort County Schools has yet to hire a full-time principal for next year at Southside. One thing is certain: the next principal has big shoes to fill.

According to both staff and students, Johnson is leaving Southside a much better place than when he arrived.

“I wish you could stay one more year, but I know you want to move on to bigger and better things, but you will also be a Southside Seahawk,” 11^th-grader Trey Carter said.