New Asheville Middle School principal announced for for 2024-25 school year

ASHEVILLE - Asheville City Schools announced earlier this month that Blair Johnston will serve as the new principal of Asheville Middle School, effective July 1.

For more than 17 years in Asheville City Schools, "Blair has demonstrated keen leadership, educational excellence, innovative pedagogy, and a steadfast commitment to equity, which makes him the ideal leader for the reconfigured Asheville Middle School," said a June 11 news release from the district.

In March, the Asheville City school board approved consolidation of Montford North Star Academy and Asheville Middle School in a 5-2 vote. The decision will close the Montford Avenue school, which opened in 2017.

In the 2024-25 school year, Montford students will move to Asheville Middle School on South French Broad Avenue, creating a single middle school for the district.

"As we embark on the Asheville Middle School and Montford North Star Academy reconfiguration, we are confident that Mr. Johnston’s steadfast and tenacious approach to the unification of two school communities will blend the best of both schools and ensure that every student and staff member is cared for, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential," the release said.

Johnston is the assistant principal at Asheville Middle School for grades six through eight. During his time as assistant principal, he has also served as director of athletics and electives. He first joined ACS as a science teacher at Vance Elementary school, which has been renamed Lucy S. Herring Elementary.

Johnston studied elementary education at Appalachian State University and later obtained his master’s in school administration at Western Carolina University. He was a North Carolina Principal Fellow Intern at Asheville Middle and Ira B. Jones Elementary 2018-2019.

“I love Asheville Middle School because of its focus on student voice, belonging, and commitment to equitable and relational practices. Students are more than a data point, and AMS teachers and staff are committed to holistically supporting students' growth personally, academically, socially, and emotionally,” Johnston said in the release.

He is committed to "engaging all stakeholders and fostering a student-centered school culture that is grounded in common, agreed-upon expectations," said the release. "His efforts to ensure that all voices are heard in the process of developing a new school community at Asheville Middle School are observable through his years of building trusting relationships with students, staff, families, and community."

More: ACS votes to close Montford North Star, consolidate with Asheville Middle in 5-2 vote

More: Asheville school board chair backs historic change: pay, staffing, power for teachers

Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email [email protected] or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. Please support local, daily journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville City Schools appoints new middle school principal