When Tyler Horne was growing up, his school administrators knew him well.

“To be honest, I was in trouble a lot in school,” he said. “I didn’t do anything big, but I was considered the class clown and with that expectation I thought, ‘I got to do something funny.’ Not every teacher liked me because of that and my parents spent a lot of time in the principals’ offices with me.”

Now, when Horne’s parents visit him at work, it’s once again to the principal’s office — only this time, he’s the one in charge.

Horne became principal of Longview Elementary on July 1, replacing Tori Gillett. His own background helped shape his leadership style.

“That helped shape my philosophy; when I see kids who are having a hard time or acting up, like no matter how many times that they've had struggles, I give them a fresh slate and hear them out,” he said. “I've seen the effects of when someone gets labeled as the kid that does bad things and it doesn't help anything. I want to give them a fair shot to explain themselves.”

A graduate of the University of Utah in Spanish and international studies, Horne initially planned to attend law school, but shifted gears after working at Horizon Elementary as a paraprofessional. He earned a master’s in educational leadership from Southern Utah University while teaching at Horizon.

Before becoming principal, Horne taught for five years, served one year as an assistant principal intern at Horizon, then worked as an assistant principal in both Tooele and Salt Lake City school districts’ elementary schools for three years. 

“I wanted to come back to Murray,” said the Murray native who attended Grant, Riverview and Murray High. “I had a lot of connections. (Murray School District Assistant Superintendent) Scott Wihongi was my chemistry teacher in high school and there still are other teachers there. Heather Nicholas, who hired me at Horizon, is now the principal at Parkside. (Superintendent) Jenn Covington knew who I was as a teacher. I’m excited about this. I trust Jenn, I trust Scott, I trust Heather; they're going to help me with questions I have and help make me be the best administrator I can be.”

Wihongi (chemistry), along with Derek Hathaway (biology and zoology) and Mark Durfee (history), helped inspire Horne to become a teacher. 

“Tyler had a cheerful disposition and was a good kid when he was a student,” Wohongi recalled. “He wasn’t shy and asked really good questions.”

Former Murray High Principal Scott Bushnell also guided Horne during his early administrative pursuits.

“He took the time to give me advice and helped me through that process,” Horne said. “Another person who helped was Deb Sorenson. She was my principal at Riverview, then my assistant principal in high school. When we were in high school, she said, 'I'm keeping an eye on you,’” he said, then explained: “I was the ninth-grade president, but I ended up being on probation because of my clowning around behaviors. She was rough on me in junior high, but as I got better in high school, we established a pretty good relationship.”

At his previous schools, Horne made a point of being visible, handling recess and lunch duties daily — something he plans to continue at Longview.

“When you're a principal, the kids don't know you unless you make an effort,” he said. “I’m hands-on so I know the students and if behaviors become an issue, I can affect change.”

Horne’s goals for the year are clear. 

“My goal this year is to see how things are running, then add my expertise and tweaks,” he said. “We have an experienced staff, so I’m going to support them and trust them. I love that Murray has a full-time social worker and instructional coach for our building. They’re part of the fabric of the school. Our RISE (test) scores are just below 50% in proficiency, which is above the state average, but I think down the line raising those would be a good goal. For our community, I want them to know I'm one of them. I'm from Murray. I hope that the community will know that every decision I make is going to be for the best interest of kids in the community; I have a vested interest in Murray being the best it can be.”

Other Murray School District administrative assignments

Also returning to the district is Bruce Eschler, former Hillcrest Junior High English, reading, and ESL teacher. After serving in administration at Corner Canyon and Jordan High Schools and earning a doctorate in educational leadership, he now steps in as director of secondary education, replacing the retired Robin Williams.

“I'm a big advocate for education; the more education you can get, the better, just for your own personal development,” he said. “So, one thing I'll be doing in Murray is finding my way to advocate, because as an educator, regardless of whatever position I've been in, my job is to help that school, that community, that district and be an advocate for them.”

Eschler plans to hang a framed print of the word “advocate” in his office, a reminder of a lesson from his Highland High teacher, Kathy DeMaul. 

“It’s my North Star. I'm here today, because my teacher said, ‘You have potential. You are more than what you think you are. Quit coasting,’” he said.

Eschler will be supporting both teachers and students during a transitional period as the district shifts ninth grade to high school and sixth grade to middle school in 2027. 

“It’s exciting to be going back to a home, a place that I knew,” he said. “There still are teachers and people there I worked with, I'm eager to work with teachers in a different way. I've always liked curriculum, so I’m looking to being more involved in the curriculum. This position allows me the opportunity to network and work with other districts and learn and grow. I like being a learner and seeing what other people are doing.”

Though Eschler has moved further from day-to-day student interaction, he’s ready to make a broader impact.

“I've been progressively getting further away from student relationships and that's not easy,” he said. “Opportunities happen, and I can increase my influence now in particular ways at a district level. With Murray being a smaller district, I get to develop stronger relationships and have more flexibility to innovate. No matter what, I’ll still be able to advocate for students.”

Also joining the district office is Emily Bird, now the director of at-risk programs.

Bird brings 11 years of experience, including recently, four as assistant principal at Murray High. She began teaching special education at Grant Elementary in 2013, then spent three years as the district’s at-risk program specialist before working at the Utah State Office of Education, ensuring compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

“I’ve always had a love for education law,” Bird said in 2021. “As an administrator, I can make sure the policy and procedures are in place for students to have the best possible education.”

Amber Rogers will serve as Murray High’s assistant principal. She brings 15 years of experience in education as a teacher, instructional coach and recently as an assistant principal intern at Hillcrest Junior High.