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Pending Florence Unified School District Governing School Board approval, two schools will be getting new principals for the 2022-2023 school year.
Jeffrey Christ will be the principal at Walker Butte K-8 for the 2022-2023 academic school year and Byron Hastings will be the principal at Copper Basin K-8, according to a press release.
Christ has worked for the FUSD for more than 12 years. He taught mathematics for seventh and eighth grade students at Circle Cross Ranch K-8 for six years. He then moved to Walker Butte K-8 as the dean of students and athletic director for two years. After that, he went back to Circle Cross Ranch K-8 for three years as the school’s assistant principal.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to go back and rejoin the Walker Butte family,” Christ stated in the release.
Christ earned his bachelor's degree from Northern Arizona University and his master's degree in Education Administration from Grand Canyon University.
Christ enjoys spending time with his wife, Melissa, and their twins. He also enjoys visiting and exploring new places, as well as visiting what he likes to call his second home, Disneyland.
“We are fortunate that in our district, we have employees like Jeff Christ who have grown professionally with FUSD and have the desire to become effective administrative leaders,” stated FUSD Superintendent Chris Knutsen in the release. “He has already established a partnership with the Walker Butte community in the past and I am confident that they will not only welcome him in his new role but will work with him to ensure academic growth and achievement for all Walker Butte students.”
Hastings also isn’t a stranger to FUSD. He has worked for FUSD for 16 years in the roles of teacher, instructional coach, dean of students, assistant principal and now principal.
Hastings grew up in northern Colorado and moved to Arizona in 1997. He received his bachelor’s degree in education from Arizona State University in 2005. His career in education began at Florence High School, where he taught World History and English Language Learner.
He moved on to Poston Butte High School in 2010, where he was a foreign language teacher and department chair. After earning a master’s degree in educational leadership from Arkansas State University in 2018, he became an instructional coach and eventually dean of students at Poston Butte High. In January 2021, he stepped into the role of assistant principal at San Tan Foothills High school. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at the University of the Cumberlands.
Hastings enjoys spending time with his family, working on his house and taking in the outdoor scenery here in Arizona. His favorite places to relax are Apache Lake and Mt. Lemon.
“Mr. Hastings has displayed exceptional leadership abilities and a sincere dedication to the students and families at Florence Unified,” stated Knutsen. “I am confident that the Copper Basin K-8 staff, and community will welcome him to his new position and will continue to work together to make FUSD ‘a district by design and not by chance.’”
