Meet the Principal

Welcome to Prairie Knolls Middle School

Meet the Principal

Matt Newquist has been Principal of Prairie Knolls Middle School since 2022 after serving a year as an Assistant Principal at PKMS. Prior to coming to Central 301, Mr. Newquist served as the Assistant Principal at Sherrard High School, located just outside the Quad Cities. Mr. Newquist spent the bulk of his teaching career at Rock Island High School where he taught Health and Physical Education. In addition to teaching, he coached baseball, basketball, and football for the Rocks. 

Born and raised in Naperville, Mr. Newquist is a graduate of Neuqua Valley High School where he was a member of the baseball, basketball, and football programs. He was fortunate enough to earn a baseball scholarship to Western Illinois University, where he played for the Leathernecks for 4 years. While at WIU, he earned his BA in Kinesiology. He also has his MA in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Francis. Mr. Newquist lives in Naperville with his wife, Lauren, who teaches Adapted Physical Education at the middle school level in Bolingbrook. The Newquists have three young children: Claire, Jack, and Ellie.