W.S. Neal High School prepares to kick-off the 2018-2019 school year under the leadership of their new principal Matthew Hodge. Hodge looks to use his experience as an assistant principal to guide WSN in the right direction.  He is the former assistant principal from Pell City High School.

As a teenager Hodge traveled a lot, but he graduated from Battery Creek High School in Beaufort, S.C. He graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1983. Hodge graduated from UAB with his bachelor’s in elementary education and went to get his master’s in leadership.

Hodge has been married to his wife, Christine Hodge for 26 years, and they have three children named Zachary, Emily and Gabe. “I am extremely proud of my children and proud to be in Escambia County as the new principal for WSN,” Hodge said.

Throughout his career Hodge has been a teacher, coach and bus driver for Clay-Chalkville High School in Pinson, ala. The assistant principal at Pinson Valley High School for one year, two years with Pell City High School and now the principal for W.S. Neal High School.

“I want to make WSN the school where people are proud of it, because this is a place where they can see the good things happen, such as, academics, sports, bands, theaters and more,” Hodge said.

“I’m late coming in but we will be ready come Aug. 8 when the kids come in going back to work for this upcoming year, Hodge said.