John Smiley, principal of Rice Elementary School, has been named the new principal at Hubbard Middle School. He replaces Todd Dreifort, who was recently named the Director of the Career and Technology Center.
“Coming in with experiences at the elementary and high school level, along with having a middle school child of my own, I am extremely excited to join the Hubbard Huskies team as principal,” Smiley said. “With Rice feeding into Hubbard, I’m excited that I’ll see some familiar faces this fall with this year’s 5th-grade class moving with me and last year’s class already there.”
Smiley joined Tyler ISD in 2009 as a chemistry teacher at the former Robert E. Lee High School. In 2015, he moved into administrative roles at the campus, serving as an assistant principal in 2015, an academic dean in 2016, and dean of instruction in 2018. In 2021, Smiley took over the principalship at Rice Elementary.
“John Smiley will be a great fit for Hubbard Middle School as they prepare for a new era of education, opening a new building that matches a tradition of educational excellence,” Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford said. “I’ve enjoyed watching him grow as a leader, where his recent leadership at Rice Elementary School as principal and at Tyler Legacy High School as Dean of Instruction before that resulted in the outcomes we expect from our schools, resulting in academic success, student engagement, and parental empowerment.”
Smiley earned a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a Master of Science in Sports Management from Texas A&M University and a Master of Educational Administration degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.
For more information, contact Jennifer Hines at Jennifer.Hines@TylerISD.org.