Hometown Educator Returns to Lead His Childhood School
HUNTSVILLE, TX – On the recommendation of Superintendent Dr. Scott
Sheppard, the Huntsville ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the hiring of Mr. Eric
Burns as the new Principal of Samuel W. Houston Elementary.
Mr. Burns is a native of Huntsville who grew up here and graduated from Huntsville High School
in 2002. As a child he was a student at Samuel W. Houston Elementary, the very campus he will
now lead. Following high school, he briefly served the District as an Instructional Assistant and
a Substitute Teacher.
Mr. Burns is a Hornet at heart and happy to return home following a very impressive 15-year
career in Willis ISD. For the past 7 years, he has been serving as an elementary campus
principal. Prior to that he was an assistant principal and a classroom teacher. While in Willis,
he was named Teacher of the Year at C.C. Hardy Elementary and then at that same school he
was later named Principal of the Year in 2020. That campus is now a designated Model
Professional Learning Community (PLC) campus. Mr. Burns’ extensive professional experience
along with his expertise as a national consultant for Professional Learning Communities should
prove to be extremely beneficial in his new administrative leadership role in Huntsville ISD.
During his formal introduction to the Board, Mr. Burns shared, “I’m excited to be back here to
serve you all; to serve the community; and most importantly to serve our students.” Mr. Burns
has already assumed his new position and hit the ground running. He is thankful to be here and
ready for the new school year.
