When Jonathan King hired in at Phil Campbell as an agriscience teacher in 2010, he found a passion. Nine years later, he is beginning his first year as principal of the Franklin County Career Technical Center.

“I think whenever I pursued my administrative degree, I really dreamed of being here, so it’s great to be in this position,” King said.

King said he wanted this job, recently vacated by Scott Wiginton, because he felt like it was where he could make the biggest impact.

“The whole purpose of being here is to produce skilled quality employees who can go out and work,” King said. Career tech is important, he added, because it gives students an avenue through which they can get good jobs without having to take on college debt. He said out of the top 40 jobs in Franklin County, less than half require a four-year college degree. 

Career tech is also beneficial to students because it gives them something they can be proud of, King added.

“Students don’t just have to sit in a classroom to learn,” King said. “They can actually put their hands on something and be involved to learn, and I think just seeing that sense of accomplishment they have is what I enjoy most about the career tech program.”

King said he hopes students can see the passion he has and it will spread to them. He said he anticipates about 300 students from Franklin County to participate in the career tech program.

Franklin County Superintendent Greg Hamilton said he knows King will share his love for career tech with the students. “That is really what he is passionate about, and we are just glad to have him back working in the field he loves,” Hamilton said.

Right now the FCCTC offers welding, cosmetology, cabinet making, industrial maintenance, collision repair, drafting and pre-engineering and business education.

King said his biggest goal is to see the career tech field in Franklin County grow. This year will be the first year an aviation class will be offered at Phil Campbell and a teacher academy will be offered at Belgreen.

This will be King’s ninth year in the Franklin County School System, in which he has taught at Phil Campbell and served as principal of East Franklin Junior High School.