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A new face will be seen at Elkin High School starting July 9.

Joel Hoyle was named Elkin High School’s principal by Dr. Randy Bledsoe and the Elkin City School Board at Monday’s board meeting. Hoyle will be replacing Mark Byrd.

Hoyle is leaving his position as assistant principal at Crest High School in Shelby. He has served as Crest High School’s assistant principal since 2002 and taught agricultural education there from 1997-2002. Prior to his career at Crest High School, Hoyle taught a livestock poultry technology program at Wayne Community College in Goldsboro from 1994-1997 and agricultural education at North Lenoir High School in LaGrange from 1989-1994.

Hoyle, a native of Shelby, attended Clemson University receiving a B.S. in Animal Science in 1988 and a Masters in Agricultural Education in 1992. He returned to school at Gardner-Webb University and received a Masters in School Administration in 2003.

“I really enjoyed teaching, but what I wanted was an opportunity to interact and work with more students, not just the ones I had in my classroom,” Hoyle explained. “That’s why I chose to go into administration.”

Hoyle, who currently lives on a small cattle farm in Shelby with his wife and 7-year-old daughter, is excited about beginning his life in Elkin.

“The ideal situation is for all three of us to move to Elkin as soon as we can,” he said. “We’re already in the process of looking at some houses.”

Hoyle will begin his role as principal at Elkin High School July 9, and his first priority is getting to know people.

“I don’t have an agenda coming in, saying ‘this needs to be fixed,’ because everything I’ve seen is first class,” he said. “Everything is very impressive, so the first thing I want to do is get to know people and get a feel for the situation.”

Hoyle already holds a very high opinion of Elkin High School.

“I just continue to be amazed by the good things going on there. I was blown away by the facilities, I have been so impressed with with everyone I’ve met, and I just get more and more excited thinking about the opportunity that’s there. I’m seeing a place with high expectations, and I love that because you want to be part of a place where people expect good things to happen. I want to keep that going,” he said.

“Our principal search team was truly impressed by his experience, his work in the high school curriculum and his focus on the importance of family and community,” Bledsoe said. “We are very pleased to have him.”

Reach Darcie Dyer at 835-1513 or ddyer@heartlandpublications.com.