By By Tim Cottrell
Less than a month after officially being hired as the new principal at Escambia County High School, Kyle Ferguson is still elated about his new position.
Ferguson, who was hired by the Escambia County School Board on May 26, says that a lot of new teachers are coming in and he is excited to see what they will bring to the school.
"We're hiring 14 new teachers," Ferguson said. "There will be a lot of recommendations to the board this week. A lot of new teachers coming in and I think it will change the face of this school. When you combine those with the outstanding veteran teachers we already have and we'll be in good shape.
"We had to turn down some good teachers," Ferguson continued. "We submitted recommendations for some good coaches, as well. We've got to fill an assistant principal position. Mr. McKinley will stay on, and Mr. Carl Raley will stay on as well. We're excited. We have good teachers coming in, some of whom interviewed in Baldwin County or Brewton City and chose us. I feel like we've got people coming in who care about our kids. There will be a lot of changes, but they'll all be for the better."
Ferguson also discussed other plans he had for the school.
"We've got some other plans," Ferguson said. "One involves new remedial strategies for the Graduation Exam. We're going to do a better job identifying low achievement students when they're coming into ninth-grade. We're also working on a new scheduling system.
"We're also going to have a varying bell system, so we can be sure to make seven periods every day," Ferguson said. "In the past, we've lost class time to assemblies or pep rallies. The most important thing is to get class time in."
The main point Ferguson wanted to illustrate, however, was his excitement over the new teachers joining his veteran teachers.
"We've got the teachers, and we've got the students, to have a great school," Ferguson said. "We're going to build an atmosphere of teamwork. Escambia County High School is going to be known for carrying itself with class, pride, and dignity. We're going to have high expectations for students, teachers, administrators, and custodians. If anyone slips up they will be held accountable. I don't want the actions of one or two to reflect on all the positive that's being done here."