Chuck Puga is the new principal of Smoky Hill High School. He has been in education for 27 years. Starting off as a social studies teacher, administrator, and now Principal, “The way I got involved in being an administrator was because I was upset with the administration at my old school. Instead of complaining about it, I decided to do something about it. They had a dean position available which I applied to, and got it. I don’t think teachers wakeup every morning and say I wanna be a principal,” Puga said.

Puga then became principal, “I love and enjoy everyday of being principal. I take my work very seriously,” Puga said.

Puga spent the first 26 years in Douglas county. The last nine years Puga worked at Ponderosa High School, “My youngest son just graduated from Ponderosa, and I felt like I needed a change. I have a lot of friends in the Cherry Creek School District and I saw a job opening so I applied and got the job. It is also close to Sagebrush where my wife works so working at Smoky Hill is very convenient for me,” Puga said.

Puga is planning to impact Smoky Hill High School by giving freshmen and sophomores less off periods, and the juniors and seniors more since their classes are tougher.

Sophomore Walid Ferjani admires Pugas appreciation for students passions, “Mr.Puga is a great principal and i’m glad he is a lot more involved in our school. Being involved in the community is very important because everybody in this school is passionate about something and Mr.Puga honors our passions. He makes an effort and that is what counts,” Ferjani said.