When Trevor Knipe assumed Dean of Student responsibilities at Warsaw Elementary School for the 2025-2026 school year, he brought a strong sense of gratitude for his three-year tenure as principal at Nauvoo’s Sts. Peter and Paul School (SPPS) and his family’s connections to the community.

The 2014 Warsaw High School graduate attended SPPS until the seventh grade, when he enrolled at Nauvoo-Colusa.

He fondly recalled his grandmother, Beth Knipe, encouraging and influencing youngsters during his elementary years as a cook at SPPS and his grandfather, Mickey Knipe, doing the same as he thoughtfully performed custodial duties, including mowing the SPPS lawn.

Making the decision to accept Warsaw’s offer to lead the elementary students was bittersweet, Knipe admitted.

“When I got approached about it, my initial thing was, no I don’t really want to leave. I really like it. I love Sts. Peter and Paul,” he said.

He appreciated the nurturing environment.

“It’s smaller, it’s the only place I knew,” he said.

He gratefully noted that there were 57 students enrolled in the pre-kindergartern through sixth grade during his first year at SPPS, and more than 80, perhaps the low 90s attending his last year. There were five teachers his first year and seven when he left.

“When I got offered the job, it was very difficult to walk away. I went to school there. My family has worked in that school literally my entire life. That’s the only school that I really knew, so it was a lot harder than just three years of being principal.”

Despite his initial hesitation, Knipe is pleased and thankful for a welcoming, strong, supportive administration and teaching staff.

“When I was interviewing, they were very welcoming and everything just felt good,” he noted. “It just felt like the right time. Katrina, Mrs. Nixon, is fantastic. Mr. Froman’s great to work with. They get the big picture. We have a really, really good group of adults here.”

In expanding on his first year at Warsaw, Knipe commented that 16 teachers, including two for each grade, instruct 230-plus students. While he considers Warsaw “fairly small in the grand scheme of things,” the increased student population was “a big difference, with a lot more minds to manage, a lot more communication involved. What I’ve learned after my first year– it takes a team, no matter what you’re doing; we have a very good team.

“We have some people that have been in education for 25-30 years and we’ve got some, like me, that have been in it for like five,” he observed. Knipe appreciates the opportunities to collaborate with new and experienced teachers.

Preferring to not micromanage, but be just involved enough, Knipe noted that he tries to not be hidden, to be pretty much apparent, walking around and asking questions.

In discussing his childhood, Knipe noted that his parents, Susan and Tony, “have probably been my biggest influencers.” Susan has worked at the Villa Marie as a bookkeeper for the Catholic Church for a long time. “She taught us– a lot about respect. I’ve tried to make myself a blend of my mom and dad– both of them. I love them both to death.” He proudly noted that he’s “right in the middle” of his mom and dad and considers himself “very fortunate to have amazing parents.” He described them as “understanding, caring, loving, respectful,” and realistically “holding people accountable but doing anything for anybody; that’s what I always tried to be.”

Knipe also appreciates his sisters; the oldest, Ashlie, is two years older and is married to Mitchell Bollin. Emma is five years younger.

“We were very blessed growing up,” he said. “We were taught to work for things and be respectful, show up, stay with a job, and be nice; normal expectations.”

Knipe attended McMurray College in Jacksonville from August 2014-May 2018, earning a bachelor’s degree in sports management and business administration and a minor in accounting. His accounting background was immediately beneficial and utilized when Nauvoo-Colusa School District needed a bookkeeper and hired him in June 2018.

After four years at Nauvoo-Colusa, Sts. Peter and Paul teacher, Kayla Haas, reached out to Knipe and they had a conversation about hiring him as principal; he didn’t have proper educational qualifications, but he was hired because, as a result of his business background and public school employment, he understood management. As a bookkeeper, he had experience with budgets, insurance, “all that fun stuff,” and had family ties. His tenure as principal at Sts. Peter and Paul School was made possible by his experience at Nauvoo-Colusa.

Knipe and his wife, Ally, moved to Warsaw in August 2019. Ally worked in Quincy and Knipe worked in Colusa, so Warsaw was the closest setting to being halfway. She just began working at Max and Zach Rodeffer’s office. As their home is five minutes from school and five miles from the dental office, both are much closer to work.

Knipe and Ally are blessed with their 18-month-old daughter, Sloane Rose.

“She loves peanut butter, she loves bread. Peanut butter on a piece of bread, and boy, she takes a bite and her eyes just light up,” Knipe said. She enjoys peanut butter with apples and bananas, if she’s also given chicken nuggets, she’ll eat the banana first. They are grateful that Sloane’s daycare provider lives in Warsaw.

Knipe and his family attend Sacred Heart Church in Warsaw and Crossview Church in Keokuk, but he tries to keep connections with Sts. Peter and Paul and attends Mass there as opportunities arise. He attended the successful God’s Portion Day because “I love to support SPPS and always will.”

Knipe commented that his wife’s career has taken a similar path as she studies to be a dental hygienist while working at the Rodeffer’s dental office.

Ally makes sure they complete the correct paperwork to stay the course on their respective paths.

“We push for each other for sure.” He describes their lives as pretty full, but fun. He wouldn’t want it any other way.

Neither would Sloane Rose, who loves books and “kind of dances” when she hears certain songs. She is a big fan of “Wiggles.”

“I had a really good year, there’s been a lot of learning,” he said. “There’s been a lot of experiences, but, overall, very happy. I think that I’m doing things the right way. You don’t really know until later on, when you make a decision.

“I see the kids doing well and teachers are doing well, and so I think all things considered, I think we had a really good year.”