Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles introducing new campus principals throughout Pike County.

Anita Grant said without hesitation that Brundidge is “my town.”

It has been since she was a young girl and her family drove “all the way” from Jack to Brundidge on Saturdays to shop.

“When I was in elementary school, I got my two new dresses and school shoes each year at The Star Store,” she said. “Brundidge is special to me because it is my town. I am blessed to be here.”

Grant is the newly appointed principal of Pike County Elementary School. Just as she is not new to Brundidge, she is not new to its schools.

She has been the assistant principal at PCES for the past four years and she also taught science at Pike County High School for three years.

“I’m blessed to be in Brundidge and blessed to have this opportunity at Pike County Elementary School,” Grant said. “It’s a wonderful school with a wonderful faculty.”

Grant said her responsibilities as principal will be different from those as assistant principal.

“As assistant principal, I handled the overflow from the principal,” she said. “Now, I will delegate and that means much more responsibility.”

That responsibly includes providing leadership for the 35-member faculty and about 470 kindergarten and elementary students.

Grant said under her leadership it will be business as usual at PCES and “business” is good.

“We have an outstanding faculty that can work on its own and we have students that are eager and willing to learn,” she said. “I would like for us to be more community oriented. I want our school to be more involved in the community, and the community to be more involved with us. I’m seeking ways to do that.

The school’s PTO is not as strong as Grant would like.

“I want our parents to feel that they are part of our school,” she said. “I want to build a trust between our school, our students, our parents and our community. One way that we can do that is through a strong parent/teacher organization.”

Grant has 15 years of teaching experience and six years as a school counselor.

She began her career in Coffee County where she taught for five years before moving to Talladega where she taught another five years.

She moved back to Coffee County and worked with the cooperative education program. She earned a master’s degree in counseling and worked at Goshen Elementary School and then at Pike County High School.

During that time, Grant received a degree in school administration.

She has been a part of the changes in education over the past two decades.

“Discipline is different now but we are fortunate here at Pike County Elementary School in that area because our students are well-disciplined,” she said. “Generally, parental support is not as strong as it used to be but we have a group of interested and hard-working parents. It’s good here at Pike County Elementary School.”

For Grant, education is her passion. It’s what she has always wanted to do.

“As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a teacher,” she said.

Grant said that she finds enjoyment and fulfillment in working with children.

“As assistant principal, I was in the classroom often and I will be as principal,” she said.

The learning process is an exciting thing to be a part of and Grant is not about to miss that.

“I’m excited about the new school year,” she said. “We’ve been working hard to get everything ready when the students arrive. We want everything to be just right.”

Grant is joined on the administrative staff by Shantell Rouse, who will be the assistant principal, and an important member of the school’s leadership team.

“We are a team here at Pike County Elementary School and, as a team, we can accomplish much,” Grant said.