King High School Principal Transferred To Newsome

The Hillsborough County School Board voted unanimously to transfer Principal Carla Bruning to Newsome High School to fill the shoes of retiring Newsome Principal Rebecca Fitzgerald.

The vote came June 14 during the board’s regular meeting.

School board members Jack Lamb and April Griffin said they voted in favor of the transfer reluctantly.

“We are going to be very sorry to lose you at King,” Lamb told Bruning.

“You’re going to be missed by the entire Temple Terrace community,” added Griffin. “Newsome is very lucky to get you.

A product of the Hillsborough County school system, Bruning received her master’s degree from the .

She began her education career in 1985, teaching the sciences at Gaither and Bloomingdale high schools before being hired by the late Ronald Frost in 1995 to serve as assistant principal in student affairs at Durant High School.

She remained in that position until 2001 when she was appointed to King High School as assistant principal for curriculum.

She served as King's assistant principal for curriculum under Principal Richard Bartels (now retired) and Dr. David Steele (current chief information and technology officer).

In 2004, Bruning was appointed principal of C. Leon King High School.

During Bruning's tenure as a science teacher, she was a member of Classroom Teachers Association and served as a building representative. She was Bloomingdale High School's Teacher of the Year, served on the board of the Florida Association of Science Teachers, and as president of the state 0rganization.

She is currently president-elect of the Hillsborough Association of School Administrators where she’s served on the board since the late '90s.

Bruning received the outstanding PTSA/PTA Principal of the Year Award in 2006-07, and in 2008-09 she received a distinguished service award from her administrative peers, the Professional Involvement Award.

She said her personal philosophy has always been to treat others the way you would want to be treated.

“If you earn the student’s respect, you can teach them,” she said.

In her spare time, Bruning said she loves spending time with her family, reading and going to the beach.