For Katie Baskin, accepting the role as principal of Austin High School is sort of a career homecoming.

She was a math teacher at Ellis Middle School after she joined the district in 2002. From 2005 to 2007, she was dean of students at Austin High School. Then she became an assistant principal.

However, Katie has been an assistant principal with White Bear Lake Public Schools since July 2012, when her husband, Jason Baskin, was transferred to the Twin Cities for work. It’s quite the coincidence, but Jason was transferred back to Austin in October, Katie said. Now Katie is following again. At first, that wasn’t the plan.

“The original plan was to move down this summer after my time here in White Bear Lake,” Katie said.

While Baskin has plenty of experience with Austin Public Schools, she is also the daughter-in-law of Amy Baskin, community education and communications director at Austin Public Schools.

Katie still has contractual obligations to fill in White Bear Lake, but she was originally going to move back to Austin with Jason and search for a job after her contract expired. Sometimes, timing is everything.

Current Austin High School Principal Brad Bergstrom, who has hoped to become a superintendent someday, accepted an offer to become Austin Public Schools’ human resources director pending a replacement for principal. That didn’t take long.

Bergstrom will replace Mary Burroughs, who left the district last month to take a job with Bloomington Public Schools. Superintendent David Krenz said district officials thought Bergstrom would be a good fit for the position. Bergstrom came to Austin in 2002 as the director of Austin’s Alternative Learning Center, as well as an AHS assistant principal. He has been principal in 2005. He and Krenz announced his potential career shift last month. Then Katie found out about the opening for his position shortly after.

“I was made aware that the position would be open through contacts there,” Katie said about discovering the job.

She turned in all her application materials and credentials and interviewed with administrators this week. She was one of 14 candidates for the job.

Katie could start this spring, once White Bear Lake has a replacement in her role.

“I am so excited to come back to a community that truly values education,” Katie said. “I feel fortunate to come back and work with a dynamic staff who do what is best for kids on a daily basis.”

—Trey Mewes contributed to this report.