New KISD principals, coaches, administrators ready to start the new year

Herald staff report

As with any new school year, changes in the administration and teaching staff is inevitable.

Killeen ISD welcomes two top administrators to the district this year.

Jennifer Ellison is the new Deputy Superintendent for Learning Services and Dr. Cynthia Swain is the Executive Director for Specialized Learning. Both women were hired in July and have an extensive background in education.

new ad M inistratO rs

Ellison was hired in July and comes to KISD from Midlothian ISD. As the deputy superintendent for learning services, she will oversee and supervise the assistant superintendents for learning services, special education, college, career and military readiness and state and federal programs.

During her educational career, Ellison served as a classroom teacher for several years before transitioning into leadership as an assistant principal in Arlington ISD.

In 2011, she was appointed dean of instruction in Grand Prairie ISD and Chancellor of Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute before moving to San Antonio. Ellison was the executive director of secondary curriculum and the Gear Up coordinator for Southwest ISD there.

She then became the director of high school programs at Palo Alto College in San Antonio. Ellison earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, her master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of North Texas, and she is pursuing her doctorate in learning technologies from the University of Texas at Austin.

Swain, who was a special education consultant for TEA Region 10 Education Service Center, will oversee KISD special education as well as at-risk, dyslexia, 504 and homebound services within the district to ensure the needs of students are being met.

From 2005 to 2015, Swain was manager of special education dispute resolution and regulatory investigations for the TEA before relocating to Central Texas to be closer to family.

Swain has experience in Bell County schools as a master teacher and action coach for new teachers since 2018 with Temple ISD. This was after serving in teaching and administrative roles and in special education dispute resolution at the state level.

She has been a teacher at the high school and college level, an assistant principal and a principal in Austin, Del Valle and Temple school districts as well as Concordia University.

Swain holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Woman’s University, and master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Texas.

new prin C ipals

One high school, two middle schools and an elementary school campus will start the new school year with a new principal at the helm.

Dr. Nino Etienne, formerly the principal from Eastern Hills Middle School, will welcome students at Chaparral High School. A former assistant principal at Chaparral High School, Jacqulyn Bridge will be the new principal at Eastern Hills Middle School. Dr. Janelle Muhammad, formerly the assistant principal at Shoemaker High School will be the new principal at Rancier Middle School. Former assistant principal at Timber Ridge Elementary School Abigail Church will welcome students as the new principal at Reeces Creek Elementary School.

COaCH ing staff

Harker Heights High School will welcome a new athletic director and head football coach as well as a new head basketball coach to its athletic department this year.

Killeen High School alum, Mark Humble will take over as athletic director and head football coach. Humble a was a member of the 1991 state championship Killeen Kangaroos football team — the district’s only football state championship — and graduated from Killeen High in 1994.

A quarterback for the Roos, Humble graduated as the most prolific passer in school history, and was named All-District, All-Centex, All-State and All-Academic.

Following high school, Humble went to SMU on an athletic scholarship, where he was a three-year letterman for the Mustangs as a quarterback and won the Lester Jordan Award as the most outstanding player on the field and in the classroom.

Humble comes to the Knights from Denton Ryan High School, where he was assistant coach one season following a stint as head football coach and athletic coordinator at Rock Hill High School in suburban Dallas.

Prior to becoming the inaugural coach at Rock Hill, Humble spent two seasons at Lone Star High School in Frisco,

Humble has also held coaching positions at Carroll High School in Southlake and Keller High School. Humble also coached at Texas High, Plano East and Grand Prairie. Prior to coaching at the high school level, Humble coached running backs at SMU

Jerrel Chumley will welcome athletes to the court as the new head basketball coach for the Harker Heights High School boys basketball team. During his tenure at South Grand Prairie, Chumley helped engineer multiple 20-win seasons. Chumley coached the junior varsity team at South Grand Prairie ISD. As a college basketball player, Chumley helped lead Dallas Christian College to a national championship in 2013.