Tuscaloosa City High Schools Receive New Principal Appointments for Upcoming School Year
The Tuscaloosa City Schools Board of Education approved the new principals for Paul W. Bryant and Northridge High Schools for the 2023-2024 school year.
According to a TCS newsletter, Eric Hines will take over the position at Bryant and Dr. Jessica Williams will take over at Northridge. Both appointments are set to go into effect June 1.
The two will replace Lydia Edwards, Bryant's principal, and NHS principal, Dr. Tygar Evans, who both announced in March they would not be renewing their contracts in the district.
The newsletter states Hines is currently the principal at Eastwood Middle School where he has served since 2017.
Hines, an eight-year veteran of the TCS district, previously served as the assistant principal at Westlawn Middle School and was a social studies teach prior to working as an administrator.
Hines said he is excited for the opportunity to continue pushing the needle of progress forward as principal on the high school level.
"My first task as principal is to listen," Hines said. "It is very important that I provide a safe space for students and their families to convey what they desire in our school and work together to make those things a reality. Next, we will create the capacity for productive relationships that are built upon mutual respect and admiration."
WIlliams has served as the assistant principal at Northridge for the past four years. She has worked in education for a decade, according to the newsletter.
Williams said she looks forwards to leading the students at Northridge, calling the opportunity "tremendous."
"We have many wonderful things happening at NHS however, there are always areas for improvement and growth," WIlliams said. "I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity."
Dr. Mike Daria said it was important to hire two experienced administrators to fill the roles and push the two high schools to excel even higher.
"These two principal positions are incredibly important to the system, as they help ensure that we are providing a high quality, high standard of education for students at two of the three high schools, but also they help ensure that our graduates are well prepared and have a plan for their path following graduation," Daria said.
The newsletter said the district will soon begin the hiring process to replace Hines and Williams' current positions.