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By EMILY SPARACINO | Staff Writer

Oak Mountain Middle School Principal Dr. Larry Haynes was one of several local school administrators honored with leadership awards recently.

Haynes was named the Middle School Principal of the Year for District 5 by the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals.

Haynes, who has served as the OMMS principal since 2004, is also among three finalists chosen from the district principals for the Alabama Middle School Principal of the Year Award.

The finalists were interviewed by a Principal of the Year selection committee at the 2021 AASSP/AAMSP Fall Conference on Thursday, Nov. 9.

One overall winner will be chosen as the Middle School Principal of the Year, which will be announced in January.

“We’re very proud of what Mr. Haynes has accomplished at Oak Mountain Middle School, and certainly this honor is very well deserved,” Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dr. Lewis Brooks said during a Nov. 18 Board of Education meeting.

The Alabama Middle School Principal of the Year Award is sponsored by the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals and Horace Mann.

Along with Haynes, former Helena High School principal April Brand was named the High School Principal of the Year for District 5.

Brand is currently the coordinator of secondary education for Shelby County Schools.

Caroline Obert, who was serving as principal at Chelsea Middle School when she was honored with the District 5 and state honors last year, was also presented with a commendation from Gov. Kay Ivey.

Obert is the current principal of Huntsville Junior High School.