Principal shift lands Willis at Midway Elementary

Jacob Willis has been approved as the new Midway Elementary principal, replacing Dr. Daniel Chabot who has been moved to Union High School.

Chabot was hired as the Midway Elementary School principal during the Sampson County Board of Education meeting on June 13. He was then moved to be the Union High School post by Superintendent Dr. Jamie King during a specially-called personnel meeting Aug. 12. He begins his new role as principal Aug. 26.

Willis has spent the past two years as the assistant principal at Midway High School. He will start his role as the elementary principal Aug. 19.

Willis taught at Triton High School from 2017-2022 as a social studies teacher while also being the baseball coach. He has been the assistant principal for Midway High School since 2022. He went to Barton College where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in social studies education and a Master’s degree in school administration.

Chabot brings over 20 years of experience to his new role. His other positions was working as the assistant principal of North Lenior High School. He has also previously worked as the assistant principal at Southern Wayne High School, an agriculture teacher at Cape Fear High, North Lenior High and Union High School. He began teaching in 2004 as a physical education teacher in 2004 at Breezewood Christian School in Cumberland County.

Brian Richardson, the assistant principal for Union High School, had previously been promoted to the principal, but he chose to remain as the assistant principal instead.