Brookings middle school principal, SDSU alum given top SD award

Todd Foster’s decades-long career in education has taken him in different directions and led him on a path of service to his students, school and community. This year, the South Dakota State University alum’s dedicated journey is being honored at the state level. 

Foster, who serves as principal of George S. Mickelson Middle School in Brookings, was recently named the top principal in the state of South Dakota. 

He received recognitions as the Region One Middle School Principal of the Year, State Middle School Principal of the Year and the overall South Dakota Principal of the Year. The South Dakota Association of Secondary School Principals announced the 2024 awards in March, and Foster will be honored at the South Dakota Principals Conference in June. 

“There's a lot of people that probably do a lot better job than I do and probably more deserving,” Foster said. “So, at the end of the day, it is very humbling to be recognized by your peers with such a top honor. I’m not one who goes looking for that.” 

Foster, who holds two master’s degrees from SDSU, started his teaching career in 1986 in Hitchcock. After a few years of teaching, he moved to the Balaton School District in Minnesota and decided to go back to school for a master’s in school counseling. 

“I was teaching for a couple of years in a small school there, and we didn't have a school counselor,” Foster said. His work with students and some encouragement from others pushed him to take the leap and go back to school. 

In 1995 he graduated with his first degree from SDSU. 

Shortly after earning his degree, he moved to Howard to be a school counselor, followed by Flandreau. It was during his time in Flandreau that he was encouraged to look at administration as a possible next step in his career. 

“I decided after talking with my wife, ‘Alright, let's go back to school again,’” Foster said. 

He earned his administration degree from SDSU in 2005 and was hired as the high school principal in Flandreau. After 10 years there, around the time of his 50th birthday, Foster and his wife looked to Brookings as a place to close out their careers. 

“We always said, 'You know what, we’d love to end up in Brookings someday,’” Foster said. “Lo and behold, I got lucky enough to become the assistant principal (at Mickelson Middle School).” Six years later, Foster moved up to the top job. 

His wife, Jolynn, also joined the Brookings community as a first-grade teacher and recently retired after a 30-year education career. 

Looking back on his time at SDSU, Foster remembers engaging faculty and making connections with other educators from the region. 

“Just a lot of good, good memories of people and professors that you had on campus,” Foster said. 

Foster also remembers juggling life, work and school and attributes his success to the support of his family. As a teacher or counselor, coach and student, Foster said his wife and two sons, Spenser and Mitchel, supported him through it all. 

“You kept busy, and you had to prioritize what was important and how you needed to get things done,” Foster said. 

His mixture of education, counseling and administration degrees provide a unique approach to reach middle school students.  

“Middle school is a tough age,” he said. “I think you get a lot of kids who will say they don't they don't think fondly of middle school. My goal is to have them say that I miss middle school and I love middle school.” 

He focuses on building relationships and making connections with students. It’s working with kids that motivates him as he watches students grow from entering middle school in sixth grade to when they “graduate” eighth grade. 

This summer, Foster will join educators from across the country in Washington, D.C., where he will be in contention for the national principal of the year award.