ROYAL CITY - When Jack Hill took over as principal of Royal High School 21 years ago, he did not intend on a career stay.

"I was going to stay three years because my daughter was a sophomore," he said recently. "But this a great place to raise kids. We just stayed."

Hill and his wife Carla came to Royal with four children. The themselves haven't strayed far since then.

Kjiristi, who was that sophomore, is a stay-at-home mom in Moses Lake. She had a hair dressing business for a time but is now raising her children.

Jack Christopher, who was in the sixth grade that year, is a substitute teacher and coach at Manson. Liesel, in fourth grade then, teaches fourth grade here, and Melanie, a second-grader then, is an instructional aid and volleyball and softball coach at Royal Middle School.

Hill has 34 years in education. He got his Bachelor of Arts in education from WSU after attending Wenatchee Valley College and Central Washington University.

Hill was raised in Wenatchee, graduating from Wenatchee High in 1968. He played basketball, ran track and was on the football team during the start of the Lee Bofto era that resulted in several state titles or high rankings.

Hill started his education career at Tonasket Middle School. He was a history teacher for seven years.

He moved up to assistant high school principal, head football and  baseball coach and assistant basketball coach. Then in 1990 Hill received a call from the superintendent at Waterville, informing him of the opening at Royal.

"He said it would be a good fit," Hill said.

Hill was interviewed and offered the job. He accepted. Nearing three years, he started to look around as he'd planned. He applied for jobs at Hoquiam, Selah and Eatonville but decided Royal was still the right fit.

"The kids wanted to stay. It was good for them," he said. "The younger ones were growing up here."

Hill is qualified for retirement now, but he has no plans for leaving. He never set a number of years he would work. At 60 he still feels young and up to the task.

"There's nothing I'd rather do. I love kids," he said. "I have my good days and not so good. Sometimes when things aren't going so well, I go out in the hall and watch the kids. That reminds me of why I do this."