Katie Schafer


Hello Panther Family!


I am honored to serve as the proud Pine Island Middle School Principal. Middle school is such a special time as students learn, grow and become more independent. Pine Island Middle School is truly a remarkable place filled with wonderful students, supportive families and a stellar staff. 


A little bit about me- I live in Goodhue with my husband, Jeremy and our three children. Our family owns and operates Schafer Transportation, the bus service for Goodhue Public Schools. As a family we love sports, music, spending time at the lake, and traveling. 


On a professional note, I graduated from the University of River Falls with a degree in Education and later, a Masters from Winona State University. I earned my administrative license from the University of Minnesota. As a leader in education over the past 20 years, I have worked in various capacities serving students age kindergarten through eighth grade. During that time, I worked as a classroom teacher where I was selected as the Walmart Teacher of the Year. I continued my professional journey as a reading specialist and later as an instructional coach for Lincoln K-8 Choice School. While working as an instructional coach for various sites within Rochester Public Schools, I served as a change catalyst, a data coach, a resource provider, a mentor, and a curriculum specialist. During that time, I also served as the Master Coach for the MN Reading Corps conducting training for literacy specialists across the state and also supported the literacy operations of over twenty-five schools in southeastern MN. Before coming to Pine Island, I was the Assistant Principal of Overland Elementary where it was a privilege to open a new school- building foundational systems and routines from the ground up. 


As the proud principal of Pine Island Middle School, I look forward to another year building on our culture of excellence while providing a world class educational experience for all students. 


If you would like to reach me, please email me at [email protected]  Go Panthers! #MaroonAndGoldAllDay


Best Regards,

Mrs. Schafer

Proud Principal of Pine Island Middle School