The school’s administration will have a new look next year as Assistant Principal Ray Winkler has accepted the position of Principal at Lakeside Middle School in Little Elm. The transition from middle school to high school will be a familiar change that Winkler has had much experience with.

“I spent 14 years in middle school before I came to high school so I understand middle school really well,” Winkler said. “The kids are all the same, they want to learn and they want to do good things, so the way you talk to high school kids is very similar to the way you talk to middle school kids.”

Winkler has made a big impact in the district over the years. He has assumed the positions of Assistant Principal, Associate Principal, as well as the Fine Arts department head for grades K-12.

“This has been a great experience for me. I’ve learned a bunch through teachers and students this year and I’m looking forward to taking that to my next school,” Winkler said.

Although he is sad about leaving the district, Winkler looks forward to where this opportunity will lead him in his career.

“I’m going to miss the kids and the teachers here. The family atmosphere, the way that we work together to raise every kid up is very unusual and I hope I can replicate that at my next job,” Winkler said. “It’s going to be a challenge and I look forward to the challenge.”