10/14/2025
🌟 National Principals Month Spotlight 🌟
Meet Mace Gratz, Principal of Lincoln High School & Seaview Academy
In celebration of National Principals Month, we asked our principals a few fun questions to get to know them better. Here’s what Mr. Mace Gratz had to say 👇
💙 How long have you worked for PASD?
12 years.
💙 What do you like best about being a principal?
Working with awesome, smart, creative people to plan new opportunities for our students.
💙 Who inspires you and why?
Family, coworkers, and students. The other morning a student asked me how my morning was.
I responded flippantly, “You know what, I’m not sure why I got into this business. I mean, waking up this early is not my natural state of being.”
He replied, deadpan, “It’s because it’s a gift. You’re helping the future every day.”
Touché!
💙 What is one of your favorite memories from when you were in school as a student?
My frequent visits to Mr. Sutton’s classroom during lunch. I was able to talk to him about “teenagy” philosophy, books, history, and poetry. He always appeared to enjoy our conversations as much as I did and never outwardly judged me for failing every single one of his classes. He encouraged me to join the Marines for some adventure and self-discipline and to go to a tiny little college in New Mexico to study the classics. I did both. The man even wrote recommendation letters on my behalf for a dozen years after (barely) graduating—all this, despite the three full credits worth of Fs he personally issued. The man was a gem!
💙 What's a hobby or skill you have always wanted to learn?
I’d love to write a novel. But I think I have some limitations with this endeavor that I haven’t surpassed yet. Not sure I will.
💙 If you had a day completely to yourself with no responsibilities, how would you spend it?
Sleep. Go for a walk. Sleep.
Thank you, Mr. Gratz, for your humor, creativity, and commitment to helping students find their own path. 💙