New High School Principal Announced

by Matt Bailey

Dr. David Butler was announced as the next High School Principal, last week.

"As principal, I seek to build conditions that allow each individual learner to learn at their full potential and set them up for success in pursuit of their ambitions and dreams," Dr. Butler said over email.

"I want students to feel confident that they are in control of their own learning journey and for teachers to feel fully supported in their work are free to adapt and innovate." He added that the entire community shares the stewardship of the school and must collaborate to "set a vision for the school and then bring that vision to life."

While travel complications prevented an in-person campus visit last month, the school confirmed that his appointment followed a series of online interviews. Dr. Butler noted that these meetings left him confident that KAS is "an exciting school with lots happening, but also a place that values compassion and kindness."

Dr. Butler currently serves as the Upper School Principal at the Canadian International School of Hong Kong, Originally from Canada, he has also lived and worked in the UK and Saudi Arabia.

The transition will include Dr. Butler’s wife, Kimberly, who will teach in the Middle School, and their two youngest children, who will join the 11th and 8th grades. "Our family is thrilled to join as KAS Dragons," Dr. Butler said, noting that they sought a school that celebrates "athletics, the arts, and student leadership" alongside academic achievement. The family will also be bringing two cats to Kaohsiung.

Dr. Butler holds a Doctorate and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Western Ontario and a Master’s in European History from the University of Cambridge.

Regarding his personal interests, Dr. Butler invited students to introduce themselves by discussing restaurants, history, musical theatre, Dungeons and Dragons, board games, or science fiction. "It's also okay to tease me about my favourite ice hockey team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, since they always disappoint," he said.

He will begin as Principal at the start of next school year in July 2026.