Southeast Bulloch High School will trade one familiar face for another.
Donna Clifton, the principal of Southeast Bulloch Middle School, will take over as principal of SEB High in the 2013-14 school year.
Because SEB Middle feeds into SEB High, many of her students next year will have had her as their middle school principal.
Clifton, a Brooklet native, also has served as a teacher and assistant principal at the high school, and she graduated from there.
“I’m very excited,” Clifton said Wednesday afternoon. “I was assistant principal at SEB High from 2004 to 2007. I’m a graduate of SEB High. I bleed blue and gold.”
Bulloch County Schools Superintendent Charles Wilson said some time is needed to figure out the best person to lead SEB Middle, but he is confident about Clifton’s ability to lead the high school.
“I have deliberated heavily and thoughtfully over what I believe to be the best decision for all students involved,” Wilson said Wednesday afternoon. “Ms. Clifton has prepared the SEBMS team for a strong future under our new vision and she will carry SEBHS to a new level of excellence.”
Dr. Trey Robertson, the current principal of SEB High, will become an assistant superintendent in the Bryan County school system next school year.
Wilson announced the move to the staff of SEB Middle Wednesday. Clifton said that while she looks forward to moving to the high school, the announcement was emotional.
“I’ve loved Southeast Bulloch Middle School as much as I love Southeast Bulloch High School,” she said.
This continues a principal shuffle that began earlier this month when Jennifer Quick, the principal of Mattie Lively Elementary, announced her desire to return to the classroom. She will do that next school year.
Todd Williford, the principal of Sallie Zetterower Elementary for the past 12 years, will take Quick’s place at Lively. Julie Mizell, an assistant principal at Statesboro High School, will take Williford’s place at Sallie Z.
Clifton has been principal at SEB Middle for six years. She has been an educator for 26 years, starting in Effingham County before becoming a teacher at Stilson Elementary. She taught for nine years at Stilson, was a remediation teacher at SEB Middle for a year, then moved to SEB High before taking over as principal at the middle school in April 2007.
“My goal everywhere I have gone,” Clifton said, “is that I want to do the best I can for the students of our community to become successful, productive citizens.”

Jason Wermers may be reached at (912) 489-9431.