Keith Ball, principal, has been at Etowah since 2010. He has been an active principal not only in the lives of students, but in the community, as well. He upgraded Etowah to the school it is today from adding a whole building to growing the schedule to have seven class periods.

“His [Mr. Ball] only demand is excellence, and not only does he demand it, but he models it in everything he does,” Wright Vermilya, math teacher, said.

Ball has not only improved Etowah’s exterior, but has improved its interior by motivating the faculty and staff to exceed Etowah’s previous accomplishments. He has encouraged teachers to use data from student performances to better their lesson plans and increase student success.

“I hope the new principal continues to focus on the growth of all students by looking out for their needs and staying ahead of the curve on best practices for teacher accountability and student success,” Robyn Mattson, CTAE department head, said.

Ball has not only influenced the students at Etowah to finish their academic careers, but has connected the community with the high school. He annually visits all of the feeder schools with some of the top students at Etowah and tries to motivate and inspire students to forever be an Etowah Eagle.

“I hope the new principal keeps his future direction in mind and not just be status quo. The only way you can be great is to work at it,” Rob Graner, physical education teacher, said.

Ball has created high expectations for Etowah’s students, teachers, and community. He is always prompting teachers to be one step ahead of education and achieve ideas that will better student growth.

“I am extremely proud to work at Etowah High School and over the past seven years, Mr. Ball’s leadership has directly affected Etowah’s excellence,” Melissa Paurowski, math teacher, said.