Photo by Erin Nelson.
Aaron King speaks after being introduced as the new principal at Hewitt-Trussville High School during the Trussville Board of Education meeting June 26.
In a special session on June 26, the Trussville Board of Education officially named Aaron King as the new principal of Hewitt-Trussville High School.
Trussville City Schools Superintendent Patrick Martin made the announcement to an assembled crowd of parents, faculty and school system officials following an exhaustive search to replace former Principal Tim Salem, who was officially relieved of his duties on June 1 after being placed on administrative leave in the fall of 2022.
"We received 33 applications, as well as went out and sought who we were told were exceptional principals from around the state," Martin said.
Accompanied by his wife and three daughters, King spoke passionately about his goals to push Hewitt-Trussville High School to greater heights, as well as his desire to foster a secure and transparent environment.
"You have my heart and my word that I will treat each and every student at Hewitt-Trussville High School as if they were my own," King said from the podium.
"Citizens of Trussville, I have my ears and my eyes open. God gave me two of each and one mouth," he added. "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."
A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, King comes to Hewitt-Trussville after spending eight years as the principal of Huntsville High School. He also served as the principal of Huntsville Middle School and as the director of operations for Huntsville City Schools.
King officially stepped into the role on July 1, on the heels of a tumultuous 2022-23 school year in which Salem and former Trussville City Schools Superintendent Pattie Neill were forced out due to the mishandling of a series of threats made by a former student beginning in October 2021. Controversy erupted in the fall of 2022 after it became known the threats, commonly referred to as the "death notebook scandal," went unreported to the school board and local police.
King and incoming Superintendent Martin have made school safety a top priority, a topic King specifically addressed during his remarks. "My administration will focus on several key areas. First and foremost, school safety and security," King said. "In order for students to learn, they must be safe. They must feel safe.
"We're going to have a culture of 'see something, say something,'" he added. "I'll also have regular and timely communication with the school community as well as transparency for the operation of the school."
Additionally, King pointed to Hewitt Trussville's well-established reputation in academics, sports and extracurricular programs, but he believes it can improve in all of those areas. Owing to his self-described competitive nature, King said he would like to see Hewitt-Trussville not only ranked among the top schools in Alabama, but in the nation overall.
"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," King said, referring to one of several annual education rankings listing Hewitt-Trussville among the top high schools in the state. "I’m a competitor, and if they’re keeping score, I’m playing to win.”
During his opening remarks, Dr. Martin joked that during the recruitment process, many people in Huntsville told him “good luck” getting King to leave Huntsville, where he has spent the bulk of his academic career. However, King said he was persuaded to accept the position based on the leadership and visionary thinking of Dr. Martin and the abundant possibilities he sees at Hewitt-Trussville High School.
"Dr. Martin has a vision for where he wants to take Trussville City Schools, and it's compelling," King said following the board meeting. "When I saw his vision and what he wants to accomplish here in Trussville, I wanted to be a part of it."
"This is not a faculty in need of transformative leadership," he added. "This is a faculty that needs a strong leader they can rally behind, that can build consensus and teamwork, and so I'm walking in not to make wide-sweeping changes, but to rally us around one common vision."
TCS Board President Kim DeShazo and Board Member Steve Ward said they are impressed with King’s experience and enthusiasm as well as with Dr. Martin’s leadership and vision since coming on board in April. Ward and DeShazo said they are confident the high school and school system as a whole are in good hands.
"I could not be more pleased with what we have accomplished with hiring this gentleman," said Ward. "This is one of the best personnel hires we've had. He's going to work well with the new superintendent and he's going to be what the high school needs to move them forward."
"I talked with Mr. King during the interview process and was very impressed by his background, his history and what he shared with me about what is important to him," DeShazo said.
"We've said all through the superintendent process and through the principal process that we want to find what is the best fit for Trussville," DeShazo added. "We strongly believe we found it."
