By Crystal McGough, Editor
TRUSSVILLE – The Trussville City Schools Board of Education met for a special called board meeting on Monday, June 26, 2023, where the board unanimously approved personnel recommendations from Superintendent Dr. Patrick Martin, including naming the new principal of Hewitt-Trussville High School as Aaron King.
King comes from having been the principal at Huntsville High School for the past eight years. Prior to that, he was the principal at Huntsville Middle School for three years, and served as operations director for Huntsville City Schools the year before that. King is also a former Army officer and got his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
“We posted the position, and we had 33 individuals who applied for the high school principal job,” Martin said in a prior interview with The Tribune. “Aside from that, I also reached out to the state association that represents principals and asked their executive director, ‘Who are the superstars from around the state?’ So, I assembled a committee and that committee interviewed eight individuals. Some of those individuals had applied, but other individuals we sought because we were told by C.L.A.S. (Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools) who these really good administrators were.
“I asked the committee if they would bring me the top three or four from that, and then I would interview them as a second-round finalist interview, just myself. They brought me two. They said there was a clear line of delineation between the top two candidates and the rest of the field. So I sat down with those two candidates and interviewed them. And so, our recommendation for high school principal is a gentleman by the name of Aaron King.”
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King’s official starting date will be July 1, and he already has plans to hit the ground running forming relationships in the community.
“I want to learn everything about Trussville. Not only the school system, but I want to learn about the city, the traditions, the people,” King said to The Tribune. “Usually, the high school is a great cross-section of the community and what I’m looking forward to is learning what people are accustomed to as far as tradition. Traditions are a big deal to me, so I want to make sure that we value and respect Trussville City School’s traditions and Trussville city’s traditions.”
During the board meeting, King listed several key areas of focus for his administration.
“First and foremost, school safety and security. In order for students to learn, they must be safe; they must feel safe,” he said. “We’re going to have a culture of ‘see something, say something.’ Next, I’ll also have regular and timely communication with the school community, as well as transparency for the operation of the school. I highly encourage parent and community involvement. Student leadership and school spirit are critical aspects of a well-run high school. I will foster excellence in academics, athletics and the arts. Hewitt-Trussville is an ‘A’ school, but at 93 out of 100, we’ve got seven points left on the table. Now, I’m a competitor, and if they’re keeping score, I’m playing to win.
“Citizens of Trussville, I have my ears and my eyes open. God has given me two of each, and one mouth. I’m here to listen to you, to the students, the parents, the teachers and our community members at large. Together, we will continue to build and grow.”
Not only will King be a welcome addition to the Trussville community, but he’s bringing along with him his wife of 16 years, Kristen, and their three daughters, Elizabeth, Rachel and Rebecca.
“I’m invested into this community because, from day one, I’m going to have three children in this school system,” he said to The Tribune. “What’s kind of neat about this incoming freshman class is Dr. Martin has two freshmen, I have a freshman, the athletic director has a freshman, and the board president has a freshman. I’m sure there are many others – this is a great opportunity to do something special.”
To those at the board meeting, he added, “As a father of three girls, I fully understand and appreciate the responsibility you’re entrusting me with. With that responsibility comes high expectations, expectations I not only intend to meet, but to exceed. With having three girls in our schools from day one, we’re all in, and you have my word that I will treat each and every student at Hewitt-Trussville High School as if they were my own.”
King got his master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Southern Mississippi, and his specialist’s degree in educational leadership from Samford University. According to Dr. Martin, other educational leaders from across the state told him he would have a hard time convincing King to leave Huntsville City Schools.
“There’s something special going on in Trussville and I’m excited to be a part of it,” King said to The Tribune. “With everything coming together with leadership at the district office, leadership at the high school office, everyone working together with a unified approach and with the community rallied behind it, there’s no reason that we can’t be number one in all aspects.”
Naming King as high school principal was not the only personnel change approved at the board meeting: current HTMS Principal Jennifer Abney was also approved to take on a new role with TCS: Assistant Director of Curriculum and Instruction Program Supervisor for Secondary Schools.
“Basically, I’m going to be working with our secondary schools in a support role, mentorship role and just trying to help in any way that I can,” Abney said to The Tribune. “I’m really excited about this. I was a high school teacher and administrator, I’ve been a middle school teacher and administrator, and I’m just ready to see the new and exciting things that our district is going to make happen with this. I’m happy and grateful to be part of it.”
Dr. Martin said that, in assessing the Trussville City Schools system, he discovered there was a need at the Board of Education for someone in a supportive role to the middle and high school, especially when it comes to academic testing, and Abney was an obvious fit.
“I had been talking with Jennifer Abney about some opportunities for her and feel that we could tap into a resource there to support us at the Board of Education,” Martin said. “The Board of Education entered into a contract with a firm that looked at their organizational chart and one of the recommendations that they had was that there were some gaps administratively at the Board of Education, specifically in the areas of testing – we have quite a bit of testing that takes place with all of our students, K-12 – and then also in the area of special education, serving students with IEPs and 504s.
“Everyone I’ve talked to thinks very highly of Jennifer. She has built great relationships with our schools, and so with a new principal coming into the high school, I thought she may be able to leverage her contacts here in Trussville, her relationships in Trussville, and really serve as a support for Mr. King.”
Along with this move, current HTHS Assistant Principal Jared Meads is going to be named Interim Principal at the middle school.
“We need to fulfill the appropriate posting requirements, but he will step in as an interim into the middle school,” Martin said. “He interviewed with me for the high school principal job. He was there last year in a high school AP capacity, so I’ll want to sit down and have a conversation with him about what that looks like now as a potential middle school candidate. But you know, he’s spent a lot of his career at that middle school, so I think he will be a very, very strong candidate; very hard to beat for that position.”
Martin said that Meads was the other candidate who made it to the top two finalists for the high school principal position.
“I feel like I’ve had great leadership above me,” Meads said. “I have had a lot of great mentors in this district with Dr. Berry and Mrs. Abney and Mrs. Young. Being able to work under those three has been really good for me.”
Meads was born and raised in Trussville and graduated from HTHS in 2007. He taught at Moody before coming to HTMS for eight years, four as a teacher and four as an administrator. Last year, he served as assistant principal at the high school.
As for going back to HTMS, Meads said, “It’s going home for me; I’ve spent many years there. … I know the kind of team that HTMS has from counselor, admin, faculty and staff. It’s a special place so it’s definitely exciting to be going back there in that role.”