Ryan Burns, Hutto High School associate principal, was hired to take over as principal of Farley Middle School for the 2021-22 school year. He is replacing Mark Willoughby, who was named to fill the role of director of facilities planning and capital improvements. The third hire, Thomas Brister, was to fill the director of maintenance position.
According to the district, Burns has been with HISD since 2016 and is entering his 17th year as an educator.
“I want to thank the Hutto ISD school board and Dr. Estrada Thomas for giving me the opportunity to lead a great campus like Farley Middle School,” Burns said in a press release from the district. “I am excited to partner with our staff, students and parents on creating opportunities for everyone to reach their potential and be involved in our community.”
Burns holds a master's degree in educational leadership from Lamar University.
This will be Willoughby’s third year with the district, having spent 18 years in Bastrop ISD. He holds a degree in English and physical education from Howard Payne University as well as a master’s degree in education administration from Concordia University.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to support hippo nation in this new position, and I look forward to working with community stakeholders in making Hutto ISD the premier choice in education now and in the future,” Willoughby said in the statement.
Moving from HISD maintenance supervisor to director of maintenance, Brister has worked in HISD for 17 years.
“In my 17 years with the district, I’ve been lucky enough to be a supervisor for 14 of them,” Brister said. “Through the 14 years, we have built a great team in all departments. I’m excited to continue working with all the teams and the great administrative leadership we have. I’m also excited about where the district is headed and the future of hippo nation.”
