THE GREAT RETURN OF DAN DVORAK

Dan Dvorak is a familiar name for many of the current Clear Creek Amana High School seniors who went to Tiffin Elementary in its beginning years. He served as a principal there for about three years before retiring. At the time, the school held a heartfelt assembly full of well wishes for Dvorak during his retirement. However, as of July 1, 2026, Dvorak will be returning to the Clear Creek Amana School District as a principal once again, this time at Amana Elementary.

DAN DVORAK'S SCHOOL PHOTO AT TIFFIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 10 YEARS AGO; PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE CCA TECH DEPARTMENT

For those who know Dvorak, his retirement in June of 2018 came as a surprise. Jeff Villhauer, who used to teach second grade at Tiffin Elementary and now teaches at East Ridge Elementary, said that Dvorak’s retirement had him “...completely caught off guard.” Villhauer went on to say, that there were mixed feelings about Dvorak’s retirement: “I was so happy for him to be able to enjoy his well deserved retirement years, but also knew he would be greatly missed as a principal and as a friend.”

Diane Roethler, who worked as a Social Studies Teacher at Tiffin Elementary and is now a Teacher Librarian, shared those same feelings: “you know that he deserves it after all of the hard work he put into our schools,” however, “he is so good at what he does that you really miss his leadership and interacting with him every day.”

While Dvorak’s retirement came as a surprise, his return to CCA was not. Roethler mentioned that she wasn’t really “that surprised that Mr. Dvorak chose to come back to CCA,” clarifying that “He is the type of person who doesn't like to sit around and do nothing,” and that if anything, she had “wondered if he would think that retirement is boring!” 

Dvorak’s retirement was far from boring though, as he picked up new hobbies and carried on old ones. One thing Villhauer remembers about Dvorak’s time at Tiffin Elementary is that Dvorak “took great pride in making the grounds outside of the school building look as beautiful as possible.” Villhauer often “saw him after school or on weekends pulling weeds, planting, or tending to the flowers,” a habit he carried on in retirement. 

 Dvorak confirmed that he enjoys “ working in the yard with flower gardens and vegetables.” With his love of gardening grew a need to preserve his harvests, leading him to take up canning his recipes of salsa, spaghetti sauce and more. Yet, what’s serving some salsa or pasta without a bowl? That’s right, Dvorak also began woodworking, carefully crafting bowls and pens, not to mention his occasional golfing, bike riding, pickleball, and traveling undertakings. 

Roethler said that “Mr. Dvorak has been a principal for a long time and has a great understanding of how to make school a place where everyone can be successful.” His expertise and kind heart are likely what lead to a shoutout-worthy part of Dvorak’s retirement time - working as a consultant for the Grant Wood Area Education Agency’s principal leadership class. Considering his great work just before, such a role is very fitting for Dvorak. 

With all of these new skills and experiences, what brings Dvorak back to the Clear Creek Amana District? As CCA Middle School Principal Brad Fox would say, “Mr. D has had several years of fun during his retirement. I think he's looking for a new challenge.” Plus, Dvorak found that he “missed the daily contact with students and staff,” and that “not having that daily contact was the biggest adjustment,” for him. In the end, what truly brought Dvorak back as a principal once again was the “exciting opportunity to be the principal at Amana Elementary,” and getting to work with “the amazing students, staff, families, and community.”

Dvorak’s specialty as a principal has always been the connections he’s had with the staff and the students. Villhauer recalled one of his first memories of Dvorak before even getting to know him was “him walking down the school hallway, going to the playground. As he was walking he was holding the hand of a little tike who was having a tough day.” From there, it was easy to see that “Mr. D. was giving him some much needed support, talking with him, trying to make his day better.” Truly, in the words of Villahauer, “That's what the lucky people at Amana Elementary can look forward to.”

His kindness only extended to the teachers, as Roethler remembered that “When he was at Tiffin Elementary, Mr. Dvorak would go around first thing every morning to say hello to every teacher.” Seemingly something trivial was a pure act of community, as Roethler added “Not only did those greetings make me feel seen as a person, but it always motivated me to get to work on time!” 

Going forward, Dvorak will only continue his great work at CCA. Fox affirmed that “Mr. Dvorak will just take off and build on what Mr. Macumber did for many years, and what I did for one year.” He knows that “Amana Elementary will be in great hands.” This sentiment can only be echoed. Roethler also assured that “he is going to lead Amana with the same passion that he had while at Tiffin Elementary.” Like many who have worked with or gotten to know Dvorak, Roethler shared that she’s “very excited for the Amana staff and students, as well as everyone else in the district who gets to work with him again.”

Dvorak has already begun some of his planning and work. With Amana Elementary becoming a Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics specialized school (STREAM Magnet), there’s lots of work to be done. The staff has already begun professional learning and will continue to do so throughout the rest of the school year and a bit in July. Dvorak was sure to mention that “The staff at Amana Elementary has been amazing to work with so far,” and that he “looks forward to continuing that work.”

As some final words for the very seniors Dvorak was a principal for at Tiffin Elementary, Dvorak says that you should “Enjoy your last days with your classmates! The relationships that you have will be some of the greatest in your life.” He was sure to mention to “thank all of the  teachers, coaches, and staff members that have been a part of your school year.” Building off of this, also thank any staff member who has impacted you during your time in school (Including Mr. Dvorak!). It’s thanks to the amazing staff members such as Dvorak, Roethler, Villhauer, and Fox that some of us seniors are becoming 2026 graduates!

All that’s left to be said is just as Fox exclaimed: “Welcome back Mr. D!”