The 24th largest district in the State of Texas, Killeen ISD, announced new principals ahead of the 2023-2024 school year.
Killeen ISD is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Nino Etienne as the new Principal of Chaparral High School. Dr. Etienne has a proven track record of excellence in communication, relationship building, and creating a culture that best supports the mission of the district, teach so that students learn to their maximum potential. He was most recently the Principal of Eastern Hills Middle School and has dedicated the majority of his career to high school students in Killeen ISD.
Students first referred to Dr. Etienne as “Coach” in 2007 at Willow Springs Elementary School and Killeen High School before moving into campus leadership as Assistant Principal of Killeen High in 2012. In 2019, he took over Gateway Middle and High School and led several positive initiatives encouraging students to give back to the community, engage in random acts of kindness, and invited community members to mentor students. Dr. Etienne is a natural motivator and possesses the ability to foster an environment where ideas and collaboration can thrive.
Dr. Etienne has his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Keiser University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he also received his master’s degree in Educational Leadership.
Ms. Jacqulyn Bridge will succeed Dr. Etienne as Principal of Eastern Hills Middle School in July. Ms. Bridge started her educational career as a Special Education teacher in Hawaii before moving to KISD ten years ago. Once in the district, Ms. Bridge used her Special Education background to serve our various special populations and then transitioned to Academic Advisor at Rancier Middle School. In 2017, she was named Assistant Principal of Roy J. Smith Middle School before moving to Chaparral High School last year.
Ms. Bridge prides herself on building relationships, being visible, and creating ample student-parent involvement opportunities. She has a master’s degree in special education from the University of Phoenix in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Rancier Middle School will kick off the 23-24 school year with a familiar face returning as principal, Dr. Janelle Muhammad. Dr. Muhammad was most recently the Assistant Principal of Robert M. Shoemaker High School, but prior to 2018, she was a Curriculum Instructional Specialist and Assistant Principal at Rancier.
She understands the value of meaningful connections and will work diligently to forge partnerships with parents, community leaders and local organizations. By fostering these collaborations, Dr. Muhammad will create a support system that enriches the educational experience for all students.
Dr. Muhammad has a doctorate in Transformational Leadership from Concordia University and a masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen. The principalship was vacated after Mr. Alan Gawryszewski accepted another position in the district.
The first day of school in Killeen ISD is Monday, August 14, 2023. To view helpful back to school quicklinks, please click here.
