Principal Michael Herbin announced that he is leaving Akins Early College High School in June to take over as Principal at Lockhart High School.
Herbin has served as the principal at Akins since July 2022 after serving as the principal of Bedichek Middle School, whose students feed into Akins. Community and staff meetings to create a profile used to search for the next principal of Akins are scheduled to be held after school on Wednesday, May 21.
According to a press release from Lockhart ISD, under his leadership at Akins, “the campus saw significant gains, including increased STAAR End-of-Course passing rates, a graduation rate of 97%, a substantial expansion of Career and Technical Education pathways, and a rise in college readiness through systems that improved Texas Success Initiative (TSI) performance.”
Austin ISD has created an online form for Akins community members to submit what qualities they want the next principal to have.
Herbin sent the following letter out to the Akins community on Monday evening to announce his upcoming departure on June 30.
Principal Letter to Community
Dear Akins High School Community,
It is with mixed emotions that I share some personal news with you. After much reflection and with great appreciation for all we have accomplished together, I have accepted the position of Principal at Lockhart High School, and will be concluding my time as Principal of Akins High School at the end of this school year.
Serving as the Principal of Akins has been one of the greatest honors of my career. This school, its students, staff, and families have left a lasting imprint on my heart. I am immensely proud of the growth, resilience, and accomplishments we’ve achieved as a school community—from academic improvements to expanded student supports and a deepened culture of care and high expectations.
While I am excited for the new opportunity ahead, leaving Akins is not easy. I want to thank the incredible faculty and staff for their unwavering commitment, our students for their energy and determination, and the families and community partners for their continued support and trust.
Transitions like these can be bittersweet, but I am confident that Akins will continue to thrive. The leadership team in place is strong, and I will work closely with district leadership to ensure a smooth transition. More details about the leadership plan moving forward will be shared soon.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of your lives and for making Akins High School such a remarkable place.
With gratitude and respect,
Michael Herbin
Principal
Akins High School
Austin ISD Annoucement for Search Process
Dear Akins Early College High School Community,
This communication is to inform you that Principal Michael Herbin has accepted a new opportunity and has officially submitted his resignation from the Austin Independent School District, effective Wednesday, June 30, 2025. We want to express our deep appreciation for Mr. Herbin’s 19 years of dedicated teaching, leadership, and service, including his time as principal of Akins Early College High School (ECHS) for the past three years. We thank him for his years of service and we wish him the very best in his future endeavors.
We will begin the process to conduct a search for the new Akins Early College High School principal. We know that selecting the permanent principal for Akins ECHS is important to the well-being of the campus community and the continued forward movement and positive progress of students, teachers, and staff.
Generally, what we look for in a principal is aligned with the Austin ISD Leadership Framework, which includes being an instructional leader, talent developer, executive leader, and culture builder. Please use our online form to share what qualities you want in the next principal of Akins ECHS by June 5, 2025. Additionally, join us on Wednesday May 21, 2025, for our Principal Profile meeting to discuss these attributes with the school community.
In addition to collaborating on the principal profile, specific Akins ECHS community members will participate in the interview process. The interview committee will consist of:
CAC co-chair (parent)
CAC co-chair (teacher)
PTSA President or designee (must be a parent or teacher at the school)
Teacher/Staff – Please briefly share why you are interested in serving on the interview committee to the CAC co-chairs and Ms. Kimberly Jacobson ([email protected]).
This committee will also include the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools and Executive Director of Secondary School Leadership, who will recommend finalists to the Superintendent for consideration. The Superintendent will make the final selection and notify the Board of Trustees.
The timeline for the selection process is:
May 9, 2025 – June 5, 2025 — Survey the faculty and families to develop a principal profile. Please visit the online form to provide feedback on the characteristics you want in the next principal of the Akins ECHS.
May 21, 2025 — In Person Principal Profile Meeting – Akins ECHS School Cafeteria
4:50 pm – Staff
6:15 pm – Families
Week of June 16, 2025 — Committee interviews candidates to identify finalists.
Week of June 16, 2025 — Superintendent interviews the finalists.
Week of June 23, 2025 — Superintendent notifies the Board of the selected candidate.
Your support of Akins ECHS is valued and appreciated. I look forward to receiving your feedback in the survey linked above. If you have any questions, you may contact Ms. Kimberly Jacobson via email at [email protected] or phone at 512-414-1700 ext 72850.
Sincerely,
Dr. Angel Wilson
Assistant Superintendent of School Leadership for Secondary Schools
