Davenport High Principal Alain Douge picked as next leader of Lakeland High

Gary White, Lakeland Ledger
·2 min read
Davenport Principal Alain Douge poses with graduate Jennifer Kamora during the school's commencement ceremony in 2023. Douge, Davenport High's first principal, will take the reins at Lakeland High School after Arthur Martinez retires this year.
Davenport Principal Alain Douge poses with graduate Jennifer Kamora during the school's commencement ceremony in 2023. Douge, Davenport High's first principal, will take the reins at Lakeland High School after Arthur Martinez retires this year.

For the first time in a decade, Lakeland High School will see a change of principals.

Arthur Martinez is retiring at the end of this academic year, and Alain Douge has been selected as his replacement, Polk County Public Schools announced.

Douge has served as principal at Davenport High School since it opened in 2021.

“Alain Douge is an experienced principal in our district, having served at Davenport High and Lake Gibson Middle,” PCPS Superintendent Frederick Heid said in an email sent to students and parents. “He’s been an effective leader who is well-liked and respected by students and staff. We’re confident he’ll be successful at Lakeland High.”

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Douge, who holds a master's degree from Nova University, joined Polk County Public Schools in 2001 as a teacher at Lake Gibson Middle School. He taught at Lake Gibson High School from 2002 to 2009 before becoming a dean at the school and then serving as an assistant principal for five years.

In 2016, Douge was promoted to principal at Lake Gibson Middle School. Four years later, he was selected as the inaugural principal at Davenport High School, the first new high school opened in the district in 15 years.

Lakeland High will host an informal meet-and-greet event with Douge in June, Polk County Public Schools announced.

Martinez became principal at Lakeland High in January 2014. He joined the district in 1990 as a teacher at Kathleen Junior High in Lakeland. After a switch to Lake Gibson High School, he became a dean there in 1996.

Alain Douge spent several years in teaching and administration roles at Lake Gibson middle and high schools before becoming principal at Lake Gibson Middle School in 2016. Four years later, he was selected as the inaugural principal at Davenport High School.
Alain Douge spent several years in teaching and administration roles at Lake Gibson middle and high schools before becoming principal at Lake Gibson Middle School in 2016. Four years later, he was selected as the inaugural principal at Davenport High School.

Martinez was promoted to assistant principal at Kathleen Middle School in 1998 and later became an assistant principal at Bartow High School. He served as principal at Fort Meade Middle-Senior High for six years before being selected to lead Lakeland High School.

Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on X @garywhite13.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Davenport High Principal Alain Douge picked to lead Lakeland High