New HHS principal named

Will take over for Oertling in June

Hahnville High School will have a new principal effective June 1.

Laura Abbey will be taking the reins from current principal Ken Oertling, who has been promoted to Executive Director of Secondary Schools in St. Charles Parish. Oertling will continue in his position as Hahnville’s principal until June.

Abbey began teaching gifted and honors English at Hahnville in 2003. In January of 2007, she became an administrator at the school, and that summer she was named assistant principal.

She served in that role until 2014, when she moved to work at the St. Charles Parish School System’s central office, where she took on the role of Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, a position she’ll hold until she officially steps onto Hahnville’s campus as principal this summer.

“Being a high school principal has been a major career goal of mine, and to have it happen at a school that already has my heart is so exciting,” said Abbey. “A great aspect of all of this is that the seniors at Hahnville now, I worked with when they were freshmen. That’s an added bonus.”

Before joining the St. Charles Parish School System in 2003, Abbey taught in Ouachita Parish from 1994 to 2003.

Oertling was named the 2014 Louisiana High School Principal of the Year. He is in his sixth year as Hahnville’s principal. Before taking the mantle of principal, Oertling served as a teacher, coach, athletic director and assistant principal at Hahnville, his overall tenure at the school spanning 15 years.

“It’s really been an honor,” Oertling said. “To know the district held me in high enough esteem to promote me … this is such a diverse and supportive community. Our school system is second to none, and I’m proud to call St. Charles Parish my home.”

Oertling said he has no doubt Abbey will do a fine job. “I absolutely think she’s the best choice for the position,”

Oertling said. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and she’s very familiar with our community. I’m very excited to have the opportunity to provide her support. If it had been someone else, maybe I wouldn’t be as sure, but she and I have a great working relationship and I look forward to that continuing.”

Abbey agreed with Oertling that the two make for a successful partnership, nothing both have traveled down similar paths in the educational world.

She said she feels ready for the position.

“I think having a grasp of both teaching and learning, seeing things from an assistant principal’s viewpoint, then from the (school) district level … I feel like I have a good idea of the big picture and how to work toward meshing everyone’s goals together.”

 

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