Alamance-Burlington school system officials have appointed a retired former ABSS principal, Donna King, to serve as the interim principal at Southern Middle School until further notice.

The existing principal at Southern Middle School, Matt Ritter, has been placed on administrative leave, ABSS superintendent Dr. Dain Butler confirmed Monday afternoon at a joint press conference with Alamance County sheriff Terry Johnson (see related story, this edition).
Southern Middle School families were notified of the appointment via an automated message sent Tuesday morning, according to the ABSS public information office.
King began work as the interim principal at Southern Middle on Tuesday.
“We want to assure you that Mrs. King is committed to providing a stable and supportive learning environment for all students as we move into testing and finish out the year,” ABSS public information officer Les Atkins said in the automated phone message sent to Southern Middle School families.
King had most recently served as an interim principal at Hawfields Middle School, following then-principal Greg Hook’s promotion to chief operations officer for ABSS, Atkins told the newspaper Wednesday morning.
King had previously served as a longtime principal at Altamahaw-Ossipee Elementary School and as an assistant principal at Western Middle School, according to other ABSS officials.