Kyle Freeman has moved from a large island to a small one.

After being hired as the new K-8 Principal for Orcas School, Freeman sold his house on Bainbridge Island, said goodbye to family, and made the leap from the community where he grew up to a new island town with considerably fewer people.

“After college I wanted to go home and work, but the community had changed,” said Freeman, who is a fourth generation Bainbridge Islander. “When my parents went to school there were 5,000 people. Now there are 24,000. I wanted to move to a place that was more like where I grew up, so I’ve always kept my eyes up here, looking for positions.”

Freeman comes from a family of educators: his mom, sister, wife, and mother-in-law are all teachers.

“I’ve spent a lot of time putting up chalkboards in elementary schools,” he said.

He taught middle school social studies, language arts, and leadership skills on Bainbridge, and he just completed his administration credentials.

Freeman’s parents lived in Friday Harbor for several years, which is where he got his first taste of the San Juans. He and his wife Kim have vacationed on Orcas, and knew this is where they wanted to be.

“I checked Orcas School’s website every year waiting for an opening. I felt like this was something that was meant to happen,” Freeman said.

He originally wanted to be a high school teacher, but found he loved being around younger children.

“High schoolers are excited about leaving to go to college,” Freeman said. “But in elementary school, you see their imagination and excitement to learn, and it makes going to work fun. There are little steps and big steps in education, and you see elementary kids grow up.”

Freeman plans to spend his first year looking at what the school does well.

“Orcas has a really good district, and there is no question about its product,” he said. “It parallels where I am from: both island communities have amazing support for their schools. I want to focus on our successes instead of what we do wrong. Change is a constant, and I want to get to know the staff and the community, and get teachers what they need. It will be a challenging year financially, but the school has the right focus.”

His wife will spend the coming months transitioning their two sons, Jefferson, 4, and Kristian, 2, into their new house, and finishing her special education endorsement.

Freeman says he enjoys the outdoors and fishing, and plans to bring his boat to Orcas soon.

“I had to give up my salmon season with the move, so I am looking forward to learning the waters around here,” he said.

He loves to cook, and is a little sad to have left his newly remodeled kitchen on Bainbridge.

“I go home from work and cook. It’s almost meditative for me.”

Freeman played football and was later a football coach on Bainbridge, and is jazzed about watching Orcas sports as a spectator.

“Jefferson is excited to watch the Vikings play football,” he said. “I love the idea of being able to go to football games and see a kid who was in my school five years ago. On Bainbridge, teachers had the option of living on the island or not. We chose to stay because we liked going to baseball games and seeing people we knew in the market. This new job is not a step to something else or a short-term thing. I envision raising my children here.”