She was the school’s first principal. She stayed 35 years.

Kris Austin always wanted to be a teacher. She never thought she would be a principal.

“I could have never imagined it, but God did,” she said.

The Port Washington resident retired at the end of this school year as head of Ozaukee Christian School, closing a 37-year career in education.

Thirty-five were at OCS, the school she founded because of her own family’s interest, and Austin has peace of mind that the work will continue, despite seeing a statistic that showed 60% of nonprofit organizations fail when the founder leaves.