Port Aransas High School’s new principal is no stranger to the Coastal Bend.

Sharon McKinney, approved by school trustees Thursday evening as the high school’s permanent principal, was a teacher and assistant principal at Rockport-Fulton High School from 2001 through 2005. From 2005 through 2008 she was assistant high school principal there, being named assistant principal at Stony Brook High School (Round Rock ISD) in July 2009.

McKinney will replace Wayne Johnson, who has been interim principal since Travis Longanecker left at Spring Break to take a job in the Panhandle.

McKinney received her bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Texas A&M-College Station in 1996 and her master of arts in education administration degree from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2005. She has done coursework for her superintendent’s certificate at the University of Texas-Permian Basin.

She has done special work in advanced placement and gifted and talented education as well as studying the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills test at the Charles A Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

Port Aransas Superintendent Dr. Sharon Doughty said she wants McKinney to report for work in time for her to overlap with Johnson at the high school. That will mean she moves into the principal’s office probably in mid-May.

Board members had praise for the selection process; details will be in the Thursday, April 15, print and online editions of the South Jetty.